When Seamus met Helen
by AthenBlade
Summary: This is how Seamus met Helen, what their relastionship was like, and how and why Helen turned him in. How Seamus felt durning all this and how much Helen was in love with him.
1. When Seamus Met Helen

When Seamus met Helen  
  
It really started with a simple conversation between friends. It was all well meant and all in fun but it was the begging of the end for Helen Zzas.  
  
"What do you mean I've dated ALMOST every dangerous guy in school? I thought I HAD dated every guy in school." Helen said laughing at Jake's last remark. She was hanging out with her two best friends at their usual table in the cafeteria. Jake was a purple haired punk friend that she had had since entering the high school 2 years ago. Her other friend that was to busy laughing her head off to talk. She was Ann, The Auburn Goth, and a friend since she stepped into the cafeteria on the first day of school. They had even met at this very table.  
  
"Oh there's loads of bad dudes you haven't dated yet." Jake said taking a swig off his Pepsi.  
  
"Oh yeah name one." Ann said between her laughter.  
  
"Him." Jake said pointing over Helen's shoulder. She turned only half interested. She froze taking in the sight. You know that feeling like the world is in slow motion and all you can see is that one guy? Yeah, like that.  
  
He was in the senior section of the cafeteria but he looked older, maybe held back a year or two. He had on this skintight black Tee with AC/DC in sliver on the front. Combined with his liquid brown pants it was almost enough to make you melt.  
  
"Who?" Ann asked craning to see behind her.  
  
"O'Grady." Jake said nodding his head at the head of the table.  
  
"The Irish dude? What about him?" Ann asked looking him over.  
  
"What did you say his name was?" Helen asked still looking at him.  
  
"Seamus O'Grady." Jake said off handedly about to continue with Ann when Helen stood up. "Hey what are you doing?" Jake said alarmed standing as well. She didn't respond but started off in the direction of the Irish table.  
  
Before anyone could stop her she had crossed the floor and at the table. She slammed her hand down on the table in front of Seamus silencing any talk and getting his full attention. At first he only looked at her hand, then his eyes rose to see her.  
  
"Hey thar." He said.  
  
"Hello yourself." She said with a mischievous grin. She liked the accent.  
  
"You mind my asking what you ar' doing har?" He asked.  
  
"You're taking me out tomorrow." She informed him. A wide grin broke over his face as he leaded back in his seat to see her better.  
  
"Am I now?" He said with more warmth and amusement in his voice now.  
  
"Yes you are." She said seriously. With one hand she picked up his hand and with the other she whipped out a pen from somewhere in her pants. "And you're going to pick me up here at 9." She said writing something on his hand. He looked her up and down thinking the offer over.  
  
She snapped the pen close, spun on her heel, and headed back to her table. This would be the first time Seamus got a look at her ass. He sat straight up in his seat as if he'd been shot. If the lively spirit of the girl and her full putting lips didn't do anything for him that ass sure did. He didn't deny it he was an ass man, and what an ass! It was like perfection in denim.  
  
"Who the hell was that?" Connor said craning his neck around to still watch her. Seamus looked at his hand.  
  
"Helen apparently." He said reading his hand.  
  
"Helen Zzas." Angus said to Seamus. Seamus grinned.  
  
"You're kidding." He has looking around him to again admire he retreating form.  
  
"Nope I'm not. So what's it gonna be Seamus? Going to get a little Zzas to tomorrow?" Angus pressed.  
  
"Hell yeah, I got free time." Seamus said easily laughing along with his buddies. For Helen it was different.  
  
"What the fuck are you thinking?" Jake hissed at her returning to the table.  
  
"Dating every bad guy in school, duh." She said sitting down.  
  
"Helen that guy is dangerous, really dangerous." Jake insisted.  
  
"No more than any other guy." She replied.  
  
"Yes more than any other guy. He's an O'Grady, as is the Irish Mob O'Grady's. You don't mess with an O'Graydee, they either get tired of you or they kill you." Jake said glancing at the table where they were laughing it up.  
  
"Oh that's a load of bull Jake. Give me a break it's just a fucking date." With this she rose from the table, grabbed her bag, and stormed out of the cafeteria.  
  
"Why did I have to open my big mouth?" He said to Ann. She just watched Helen go in silence.  
  
(AN: I love the story Fasting the Past, I had the idea too and was very happy to see someone posted it. But it got me thinking 'How did they meet and what happen to them to end it the way it did?' I'm trying to answer these questions and ok I don't know how to write an Irish accent so maybe I'll stop trying. Next time their first date if I decide to keep writing. I'm not sure if anyone likes this type of story so I may not continue with it.) 


	2. The First Date and the Day After

Chapter 2 The First Date and the Day After  
  
(AN: I have given up writing an Irish ascent. That's all I have to say.)  
  
At 9:13 Seamus was parked next to the curb in front of the address Helen had written on his hand. It was a one story Spanish styled building with a garage and a dying lawn complete with tiny gnome carrying a pick over its shoulder. The lights were on but the curtains were drawn and he couldn't hear anything over his stereo. Out of sheer boredom Seamus checked his appearance in the mirror. He hadn't dressed up, he never felt the need, he just brushed his hair and brought his good jacket. He didn't think the date would last long after this one, most of his dates never did. If he made the first date good enough there was usually never any need.  
  
Just then he heard a door slam and returned his attention to the door of the house. A head of bleached hair streaked across the lawn at a dead run towards the car's passenger side door. Behind it the door was flung open again filled with the silhouette of a man.  
  
"Get your ass back in this house now Zaas!" The man yelled just as Helen reached his car. She leapt into the car pulling the door closed after her.  
  
"Drive, drive, drive!" She urged franticly. Without thinking Seamus hit the gas pealing out from the curb and speeding away down the street.  
  
"You mind telling me what that was about?" Seamus asked as they turn the corner. She laughed toppling back into her seat in glee.  
  
"Oh, that was great!" She said in between laughing. "Don't worry about Jim, he was just trying to throw his weigh around." She was still grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"OK, and Jim is who?" Seamus asked completely confused.  
  
"My foster dad. He's a real jackass sometimes." She replied. Now it made sense to him.  
  
"You're a bit strange you know that?" He said with a grin.  
  
"Yeah but that's why you're here isn't it?" She fired back. "So where are we going?"  
  
"You'll know in 10 minutes." He replied. She nodded.  
  
"Then we better have some good tunes till then." With that she spun the volume control on his radio to full blast and fell back into her seat. 10 minutes later it was Seamus that spoke first.  
  
"Where here." Helen bolted upright in her seat, her mouth hanging open in stunned shock.  
  
"You got tickets to see Bon Jovie? They've been sold out for weeks!" She cried turning to look at him in disbelief.  
  
"I take it you like him then?" Seamus asked grinning at her reaction.  
  
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I LOVE HIM!" She was bouncing in her seat with joy. Seamus couldn't stop laughing. She looked so funny with her crimped hair flying about her head that he almost had to pull over till he could stop. Like a miniature miracle there was a parking spot left in the garage and he pulled in.  
  
"Would you clam down already?" Seamus asked through his laughing.  
  
"This is just so great! I just can't believe it!" Helen gasped at last staying still in her seat. Seamus grinned.  
  
"You like unexpected then?" He asked. She laughed at that.  
  
"HELL YES!" She replied.  
  
"Good." With that he slid one hand behind her neck pulled her into a deep kiss. Her mouth was soft and opened to him almost the moment he touched it. He slid his other hand over her thigh as he moved closer. She caught his hand in her's, a small moan caught in her lips. Seamus shivered with excitement. When he pulled away her eyes opened lazily as if she was just waking.  
  
"Unexpected enough for you?" Seamus asked a mischievous grin on his face. She shook her head.  
  
"Not quiet." She jumped out of her seat straddling his hips. Tossing back her hair she kissed him her hands lacing through his hair. For an instant Seamus was too shocked to do anything. Then he responded grabbing her ass and pulling her closer intensifying the kiss. When she pulled back they were both breathing hard.  
  
"We're missing the show." She said. She popped the door open and gently stepped out in to the parking garage. Seamus sat there once again stunned. He moved only his head to look at her.  
  
"You're going to be the death of me woman." He said. An evil grin passed onto her face as she leaded in.  
  
"Don't get you're hopes up next time." She taunted. He laughed getting out of his car.  
  
"Oh yeah, my hopes. That's exactly what was up." He said sarcastically, slamming his door close. He encircled one of his arms around her slim waist as they headed for the concert. They were both grinning and the night was still young.  
  
*** 3 Hours Later  
  
"That was so amazing!" Helen cried walking back to the car after the concert. It had been a great date. Lots of terrific music, a perfect view, and lots of making out in between. She felt jittery, lighter than air, and tired out of her mind all at the same time. And all she wanted to do right now was listen to more of that Irish ascent.  
  
"Glad you enjoyed in then." He said swinging her out and then pulling her back to him. She let go of his hand so she could put it around his waist as they walked. He draped his arm over her rubbing her shoulder as they continued on towards the car.  
  
"This has got to be one of my best dates yet." She said as the approached the car. He squeezed her shoulder one last time before they separated to get into the car.  
  
"One of the best? I am always THE best." Seamus said dropping into his seat.  
  
"Well you're a long way off from that." Helen said jumping in.  
  
"Oh and why is that?" He asked starting the car.  
  
"You haven't made a second date yet. That always makes the first date end on a happy note." She said.  
  
"I know a few other ways to end a first date on a happy note." Seamus said running his hand up her leg. She smacked it away.  
  
"Never on a first date." Helen said grinning. Seamus rolled his eyes.  
  
"That is such and inexperienced rule. Everyone knows that there is never a never in dating." Seamus shot back grinning. He just couldn't seem to stop grinning all day.  
  
"Do you think I'm inexperienced?" Helen asked.  
  
"Well I don't know. I have so little blood in my brain it's hard to think." Seamus said making faces at her. They both busted up.  
  
"But seriously when's round two?" Helen said unable to stop laughing. Seamus stopped to think a minute.  
  
"Saturday, we can go to Pyramid Lake and have a swim." Seamus said at last.  
  
"Sounds cool." Helen agreed.  
  
"So now where does this date rank?" Seamus said pulling up in front of her house.  
  
"One of the best all week." She said hoping out of the car. Seamus opened his mouth to argue but she jumped across the seats kissing him full on the lips making him forget what he was going to say. "See yeah later."  
  
"You're going to be the death of me woman." Seamus called after her as she ran into the house. She turned back, waved and stepped inside. She was grinning madly as she closed the door after her. After a minute she pushed away from the door and headed for her room. On her way there she saw Jim asleep in front of the TV with a corn chip hanging out of his mouth.  
  
"Oh good parenting Jim." Helen said rolling her eyes.  
  
*** The Next Day at Lunch  
  
"So how did it go Helen?" Ann asked as Helen sat down at their table.  
  
"It was the best date of my LIFE!" Helen said grabbing Ann's arms as she spoke. "He took me to see Bon Jovie! Can you believe it?"  
  
"Holy shit! I've been trying to get tickets for weeks!" Ann was blown away.  
  
"God and he was so hot too! I mean that ascent and his hands! You have no idea." Helen said finally letting go of Ann. She collapsed onto her desk in an almost dream like state. "And he's taking me to the lake tomorrow."  
  
"Sometimes you have all the luck with guys." Ann said pulling out her purple art notebook. Helen grinned.  
  
"I know." She said happily.  
  
"What the hell are you thinking Helen?" Jake said as he sat down. Quickly ending any conversation she and Ann were having earlier.  
  
"What is your problem Jake?" Said Helen instantly pissed off.  
  
"What's my problem? What is YOUR problem? What are you thinking going out with O'Grady? I mean really do you have a death wish?" Jake barked back.  
  
"Oh yeah Jake he told me too. He started out just killing hookers but now his up to girl friends." Helen said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Listen to me Helen that guy is bad news. Bad news."  
  
Meanwhile  
  
"So what's the news O'Grady? Get any Zaas last night." Connor asked setting his tray down in front of him.  
  
"Yeah Seamus how about it?" Angus said sitting down next to him. Seamus held up his hands.  
  
"Two handfuls baby!" Seamus said grinning from ear to ear. He guys busted up.  
  
"So what's she like?" Angus asked raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Ooh, if cars could tell tales gentlemen!" Seamus said faking a heart attack.  
  
"Or backseats." Connor suggested. Seamus hit him in the shoulder still laughing.  
  
"God you blokes are terrible." Sherry said draping herself over Connor. "I sure hope you don't talk about me that way."  
  
"Hell honey we're taking notes." Angus said. Connor was half way across the table before Seamus stopped him.  
  
"Come now Connor it's only fair." Seamus said pushing him back into his seat.  
  
"It's ok honey." Sherry said sitting down next to her boyfriend. "They should take notes if only for their girlfriend's sake."  
  
"Ooooohhh." The guys all said in union.  
  
"That's tough talk from someone whose best asset is her red hair." Seamus replied.  
  
"And her tits." Angus added. Connor took a swipe at him but Sherry pulled him back before he connected. Seamus was laughing his head off.  
  
"So really Seamus you like this girl?" Sherry asked after she was sure that Connor wasn't going anywhere.  
  
"I'm taking her to the lake tomorrow." Seamus said off handedly. Everyone's mouth dropped.  
  
"The lake?" Angus said shocked.  
  
"You never taking anyone to the lake." Connor said. Sherry just sat there staring at him.  
  
"What can I say she needs the sun." Seamus replied trying joking his way around their reactions.  
  
"You really like her don't you Seamus." Sherry said seriously. Seamus laughed.  
  
"A little Sherry, ok? Just a little." He said.  
  
(AN: Bon Jovie is the song that Seamus and Helen are listening to in Dylan's flashback. So I thought this would be a cool date for them. Tell me what you think or maybe the next chapter will be a long time till it's updated. Yes I will threaten to get reviews.) 


	3. Talking?

Chapter 3 Talking?  
  
The ride to the lake had been great. It was filled with lots of fooling around and hard rock music. Best of all there was hardly any traffic, which seemed like a good omen to Helen. When they reached to lake there was a lot of people around but less than one usually expected this time of year. Helen carried her bag but all Seamus had with him was a towel.  
  
"You're not one of those strange girls that go to the water but are horrified at the idea of getting wet are you?" Seamus asked pulling his shirt off. Helen laughed.  
  
"Hell no! I'm the kind of girl that beats your ass racing to the water!" As she spoke she turned and started running full out for the lake. Seamus tripped in his hurry to catch up with her. When they were only a few steps away from the water Seamus pulled Helen right off her feet and leaped head first into the water.  
  
"You bastard!" Helen screamed surfacing. Seamus was laughing his head off.  
  
"I thought you said you liked the water?" Seamus taunted. She glared at him.  
  
"No I said I was the kind of girl that beats your ass!" She said flinging a huge wave of water at his head. After he spit out the water he swallowed he said very calmly.  
  
"You do know Helen Zaas this means war?" An evil grin passed over her face.  
  
"Let the water works begin." She said. And the war was on.  
  
***1 and ½ hours later***  
  
Helen flopped on her back exhausted. Seamus followed her example only letting out a painful groan as he did so.  
  
"I can't move." He muttered exhausted.  
  
"Well that's to bad I was thinking about letting you jump my bones this trip." Helen replied closing her eyes.  
  
"Ok I can move." Seamus said rolling on top of Helen. She laughed but other wise didn't move.  
  
"No Seamus don't. I don't think I could move if I wanted to." She said.  
  
"Well then don't move." Seamus said. She sighed as his lips met her neck in a series of slow kisses. The sun warming them both as he moved slowly lower.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Seamus hissed rolling off her. "I'm to tired." He muttered closing his eyes. For a long time they lay there in silence taking in the sun's rays.  
  
"I suppose this is the part where we make conversation?" Seamus asked.  
  
"Well there's no music, no strength to make out, and no food so it looks like it." Helen replied.  
  
They both sighed simultaneously.  
  
"So, do you like the lake?" Seamus asked lamely. He was far too tired to think of anything better.  
  
"It's ok, but I like the ocean better." Helen answered just as lamely.  
  
"Yeah but you never know what Dylan will do." Seamus commented. Helen looked at him.  
  
"Who the hell's Dylan?" She asked. Seamus opened one of his eyes so he could se her.  
  
"Did I say Dylan?" She nodded. He grinned a little. "Dylan is the Welsh god of the sea. You never know what he's going to do."  
  
"You know about Welsh mythology?" Helen asked skeptically. He shrugged.  
  
"I was born in Ireland. I know a little about everything there."  
  
"Really when did you move here?" Helen asked interested.  
  
"A little under 12 years ago. Me da wanted to expand the family business to the States and me and me mum came with him."  
  
"Da? Mum?" Helen teased.  
  
"Well I did live there for 7 years. It's a bit hard to lose the slang you grew up hearing. All though I had thought I had gotten pretty good at it till I mentioned Dylan."  
  
"No I like it. I just thought Dylan was another girl when I heard you said it." Helen said.  
  
"What about you? When did you mover here?" Seamus asked changing the subject.  
  
"About 2 years ago. It's the longest time I've stayed in one place." She said.  
  
"Why do you move so much?"  
  
"I always go out of my way to make the foster family they place me with send me back." Seamus looked at her again.  
  
"How come?" He asked. She shrugged.  
  
"Well most of the time they're assholes and the other times I guess I just don't want to get close to them. Things always hurt more if you actually care about the person." Helen answered.  
  
"Strange way to look at things." Seamus commented.  
  
"Hell I'm an orphan. I dealt with that along time ago. I don't need all these people pretending to give me something I never wanted in the first place."  
  
"But what if you do want it?" Seamus asked quietly.  
  
"Right now all I want is some friends and to have a good time. I'm making it work with Jim because for once I have some friends here and he'll put up with a lot as long as he gets my foster check. That and he doesn't keep a very close eye on his liquor cabinet." She said with a smile. Seamus laughed.  
  
"So what was your longest relationship?" Seamus asked going on to a lighter note.  
  
"6th grade with a Monty Maxwell. We dated off and on for the whole year till I moved." Helen said visibly perking up. "What about you?"  
  
"During boot camp in 8th grade. Me da got it into his head that sending me there would straighten me out. What he didn't figure was that the female boot camp was just across the lake. We both happened to sneak of base on the same night at met up." Seamus said over Helen's laughter.  
  
"How did it end?" Helen asked.  
  
"Well we both knew that we'd be sent home in 3 months so we decided it would end there, simple as that. But I learned a lot of things that year." He muttered.  
  
"I bet." Helen said under her breath.  
  
"I could teach you some of them." Seamus said pretending not to hear her comment. "Although some of it's now legal. You know, that whole public decency rule."  
  
"I don't think you could teach me too much." Helen murmured. In one swift movement Seamus was off the ground and above her straddling her hips with.  
  
"I can teach you things about your own body that God almighty doesn't even know about." Seamus whispered leading in so close Helen could feel his lips move against her throat.  
  
"So stop talking and teach me something." She challenged.  
  
Helen had spoken so quietly she wasn't even sure she heard herself. Apparently Seamus had, for the instant the words left her mouth his was on her. Slow sensuous kisses brushed across her skin making her gasp in shock. His hips pressed lightly on her own as he deepened the kisses. They rose to her ear, along the line of her jaw, and down to the base of her neck each touch sending her spinning.  
  
In the back of her mind Helen knew she should move, or respond in some way, but his smooth skilled hands kept her attention so focused on them that she couldn't even remember a time that she had ever needed to move.  
  
His hands slipped under her damp shirt circling around her back arching her toward him as he continued to caress her with his lips. Each second seemed like eternity that stretched on and on under the thrilling touch of Seamus O'Grady. When he finally stopped they were both having trouble breathing.  
  
"Ok, so you're a every good teacher." Helen whispered. Her words came out as breathless gasps and she wasn't completely sure how she had gotten them out at all.  
  
"Well you're the perfect student for it." Seamus whispered surprised at how shaky his own voice sounded. He was still on top of her, his face hovering mere inches above her's. His eyes were on her lips but as he spoke he locked onto her eyes. He seemed to forget where he was or what he was doing as he looked at her lost in her eyes.  
  
He didn't even seem aware when her arm swept around his thick neck. It was only when she pulled him to her lips that he appeared to awake from his trance. Their hot tongues meeting in perfect union to devour the other. Helen's delicate flickering playing to Seamus's powerful lashes as they kissed again and again.  
  
"Live for me Helen." Seamus whispered his fingertips tracing over her neck as he kissed her again.  
  
"Hell Seamus I'll die for you." Helen vowed pulling him ever closer to her. The silly utterances spoken between lovers in the heat of passion. It was ages till they finally pulled apart.  
  
"Ok any further and we half to take our clothes off." Seamus said rolling on to his back once again.  
  
"And there is that public decency rule to consider." Helen muttered gulping in air for her starved lungs.  
  
"Agreed, so let's go some where that's not public." Seamus suggested pulling her on top of him.  
  
"Oh, you mean for our third date?" Helen asked perfectly avoiding his suggestion.  
  
"A third date?" He asked it like it was a foreign idea to him.  
  
"Yes, a third. Comes after second and before a fourth. I think you deserve a third date." Helen said watching him closely. Seamus seemed to have drifted off to some place deep in the reaches of his mind that Helen could see. "Hello, you still there?"  
  
"I haven't gone of a third date in 5 years." Seamus stated only partly coming out of his dream world to respond to her questioning.  
  
"Wow, five years? Why so long?" Helen asked resting her chin on his bare chest.  
  
"I usually go out with one of two girls. One's that are looking for a quick dangerous fling or one's that want to marry me that I dump right off." Seamus said, apparently trying to figure out which one she was.  
  
"Why would anyone want to marry you?" Helen asked. Seamus attention quickly snapped to her, "No offence you just confused me is all."  
  
"You couldn't possibly not know." Seamus said completely mystified.  
  
"No really why?" Helen insisted.  
  
"I am the only eligible heir to my family's business. So eventually I'll be a millionaire with a LOT of power behind me. A lot of women just want to get a hold of that as soon as they can." Seamus explained.  
  
"Wow, and you look like such a simpleton too." Helen remarked.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny. It's nice having people throwing themselves at me but those people that want to marry me are freaks! I can't stand the damn gold diggers. You have no idea how freaked out I was when I found out that at 14 my girlfriend only wanted to get my family money and cared nothing for me." Seamus said distastefully.  
  
"Well you don't have to worry about me only being after you for your money. I'm only after your body." Helen said grinning smugly at him.  
  
"Are you now?" Seamus asked kissing her again.  
  
"Oh most definitely. I'm just too tired to get it on this date." Helen said rolling off her date into a sitting position.  
  
"Well then we'll have to do this again." Seamus whispered in her ear pulling her tanned back against his now vertical chest. "If you'll have me." He breathed kissing her neck once more. A little shiver of pleasure raced down her spine.  
  
"You can only hope." Helen taunted getting to her feet. Seamus glared up at her.  
  
"Bird you will be the death of me." He mused grinning slightly at the thought.  
  
(AN: So what do you people think? It's not like I read minds...much. Next time Helen fights with friends and Seamus is Seamus. On a side note I'm thinking of writing another Seamus and Helen story as I write this one. Instead of Seamus falling to his death at the ending of the movie Helen falls. At the last minute the Thin Man pushes her to safety as his last act on earth. Seamus follows her to the hospital hoping to finally kill her. When he gets there he finds out that she has lost her memory up to the day before he killed anyone in front of her. In other words giving him a chance to have the girl back that he remembers. The interesting thing is that the story with the most reviews is the one I'll update, SO START REVIEWING NOW!) 


	4. Jake

Chapter 4 Jake  
  
The only thing Helen could think of as she entered the school's front hall was to find Ann as soon as possible. Helen couldn't wait to tell her about the date with Seamus. Helen hadn't had an earlier chance to tell her because Ann didn't have a phone and had work on the weekends. Helen didn't feel like telling Jake with the way he had been acting lately so she had been forced to keep quite about the date till today. So of course it was the first thing on her mind as she walked threw the halls.  
  
As chance would have it Ann was waiting at Helen's locker as she arrived. Ann's rich auburn hair was done up in a multitude of small twists and bursts forming a pattern of chaos that she usually wore. A little make-up and a lot of jewelry and it was pure Ann; just what Helen had been waiting for.  
  
"You will not believe how great my date was!" Helen proclaimed finally reaching her friend.  
  
"OK but what rating was it?" Ann asked trying not to laugh at her excited friend.  
  
"Oh my GOD! Someone should stamp a bright red 'NC-17' rating on his forehead to warn people!" Helen gasped feigning a heart attack.  
  
"Holy shit Helen! You didn't!" Ann asked shocked; her eyes bulging out of her head. Helen gave her a look of destine.  
  
"Hell no Ann, it was a second date! What do you think I am a slut?" Helen asked opening her locker. Ann shrugged giving the obvious impression that she did. "I am not a slut! But if I were to sleep with a guy on the second date...Seamus would be the guy."  
  
"That good then?" Ann asked with a kind of mocking knowing smile.  
  
"Oh 'R' all the way baby. I can not tell you how sensuous his man is. He woke things in me I did not even know were asleep." Helen said tossing her bag into her locker. "I don't think I've EVER felt that good with a guy."  
  
"Yeah it sounds that good. So when are you going to see him again? Or is he going to one of those that doesn't last a week?" Ann asked. Helen thought for a second.  
  
"A week yes, any longer than that just depends. Hell I might just date him to piss off Jake." Helen replied seriously.  
  
"Jake is really up set, you know." Ann added worriedly. "It was the only thing he could talk about in Spanish. And that was really hard for him because he was really saying it in Spanish."  
  
"Well you can tell him for me that he can stop worrying. I'm not going to be dating Seamus forever and I can take care of myself in the mean time." Helen said slamming her locker close.  
  
Ann wasn't looking at her anymore.  
  
"So how long have you been there?" Helen asked the person she knew was standing behind her.  
  
"For all of it." Seamus replied. Helen turned around in one smooth casual movement that might have made it look as if she had known he was there the whole time, unless you knew her that is.  
  
"So what's your rating then?" Helen quipped.  
  
"Why a ten of course." Seamus answered with a confidant smirk. Helen shook her head.  
  
"Sorry but the rating was not done numerically, but by movie ratings." Helen whipped back with a smile of her own. They both stood there grinning at each other for a moment.  
  
"Ok...well I have a class." Ann said glancing between Helen and Seamus. "Well I'm going now. Bye Helen." Helen waved with out looking away from Seamus.  
  
"So why are you here?" Helen asked, a little flustered about seeing him so soon.  
  
"I happen to be on my way to Auto Shop and there you were." Seamus said stilling grinning. "So I thought, if you had nothing to do, that you might want to go off campus for lunch with me. Of course within this week so it doesn't interfere with your plans." Helen laughed so had she had to cover her mouth to stop.  
  
"Why that is so considerate of you. But I never know what my lunch plans are till they happen so we'll just have to wait and see." Helen said at this point every embarrassed that Seamus had heard any of her conversation with Ann. Which of course making her wonder how much he had actually over heard. The very possibility was making her look for anything to look at that wasn't Seamus O'Grady. So it was then that she saw Jake.  
  
He was standing in the middle of the hallway staring at her. He wasn't moving, even when kids bumped into him he acted like he didn't feel it. He looked like a living statue that was frozen in his damming judgment of her. Helen stopped and stared back her good mood instantly gone. Seamus seemed to notice for he turned around to see what she was looking at.  
  
"Who's the bugger with the purple hair?" Seamus said sizing the guy up.  
  
"Jake." Helen whispered faintly even as Jake turned and walked away from them. Seamus looked at her not completely sure she had spoken to him.  
  
"You know him?" Seamus asked frowning slightly.  
  
"Yeah he's a friend of mine." Helen muttered still staring after him.  
  
"Is he always like that?" Seamus asked. Helen finally looked at him.  
  
"No, he's usually...great. I don't know, he stared acting this way Thursday and hasn't stopped." Helen explained  
  
"Well he's off his rocker today." He said sarcastically even as he checked over his shoulder again. "So lunch then?"  
  
"We'll see." Helen said letting him bring a grin to her face.  
  
"Well I'll be in the senior parking lot if you change your mind." Seamus supplied. "And just to make sure you change your mind..."  
  
His arm whipped around her waist pulling her to him and locked lips with her. His tongue parting her mouth to stimulate and caress her own. The power and the passion he transmitted through that single kiss was enough to take her breath away with their intensity.  
  
"So I'll see you then." Seamus whispered softly against her lips. And with a parting smile he was gone just as the bell rang. Helen stood stunned in place for a while; her whole mind consumed with that kiss.  
  
"That fucking bastard better be paying." Helen muttered to herself as she stalked off to PE.  
  
Helen was staring at the clock again. And just like it did 5 seconds ago it read 12:01. This of course meant she was 4 minutes away from seeing Seamus. Helen was feeling that tense excited feeling that everyone gets before seeing someone that you're interested in. The feeling like your stomach has been torn out and flipped upside down but it feels good and exciting all at the same time; the feeling that made dating exciting and dreadful at the same time.  
  
Helen flipped her note book open to one of the back pages. Then in her need to think of something else she started drawing. She drew a classroom of students looking at their desks as a teacher shaped like a clock shouted at them "DON'T YOU DARE LOOK AT ME AGAN!" in big bold letters. A simple idea that she added as many details as possible to keep from looking at the clock herself. She looked.  
  
12:03  
  
Helen cursed under her breath. She started drawing a guy with a clover tattoo on his arm waiting outside the classroom on his motorcycle. 'This was a great idea to get her mind off Seamus' Helen thought sarcastically. She glared at her paper in frustration.  
  
The question 'Why am I thinking so much about this?' kept plaguing her mind as she sat there. The question so bothered her that she jumped when the bell finally rang. She was on her feet in a second stuffing her stuff into her bag as fast as possible not caring if it got crushed as she did so. In mere moments she was out the door and on her way to the parking lot. Helen stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
Jake was standing outside her room.  
  
"You're seeing him aren't you?" Jake asked coldly. Helen nodded. "I don't want you too."  
  
"Well that's too bad Jake because it is my life." Helen replied solemnly.  
  
"And if you keep dating him you wont have much of a life left." Jake hissed.  
  
"As far as I can tell Seamus dates a lot of people. They both have fun and neither are worse for the wear when it's over." Helen said.  
  
"He doesn't know you Helen. You can make any man you meet fall in love with you. And the O'Gradys don't take rejection well. Trust me on this Helen you do NOT want to get into a relationship with him!" Jake said till his voice had risen to a shout. Helen flinched feeling her friend's words bite deep.  
  
"I am going to keep seeing Seamus until one of us decides other wise. Now you can accept that or you can stay the fuck out of my way." Helen said curtly ending the conversation.  
  
She then stepped past him and continued her walk down the hall. It was taking everything she had not to bust into tears and start running. She and Jake never fought and Helen had never seen him raise his voice to anyone before.  
  
She slammed threw the doors shoving the out before her as she kept moving. She felt trapped like she had to get moving but she didn't know to where. Her blurry eyes were focused on the ground and her feet continued to speed up.  
  
'What the hell is wrong with that bastard?!' Helen thought angrily pushing on, to where she knew not.  
  
"Changed your mind did then?" Someone said to Helen's left. Her head shot up to see Seamus leading against the side of his car as if he was just about to get in. She watched as his face went from amused to concerned at seeing her expression. "Bloody hell, Helen what happened?" He asked jumping around his car to take hold of her by the shoulders; as if worried she would fall if he didn't.  
  
"Nothing! Absolutely fucking nothing! Can we please just get the fuck out of here." Helen said trying to get herself together. Seamus nodded quickly opening the passenger door and she jumped in. He slammed the door and jumped into his side spinning the car out of the space and out of the lot in a flash.  
  
"It seems like every time you get into my car I'm driving you away from something." Seamus said jokingly all the while glancing from the road to the girl inside his car. Helen continued to stare out the window in silence. "Oh come on you're not going to jump in my car and not tell me what's wrong are you?"  
  
Helen looked at him, her face somber but not on the verge of tears anymore. She moved around in her seat till she was leaning against Seamus with her head pressed to his chest. Seamus glanced uneasily from the road to the top of her head. Then slowly and unsure slipped his arm around her waist.  
  
"Yeah whatever. You can tell me when you want." Seamus muttered on the most part to himself. It was a long time after till anyone spoke.  
  
"I got into a fight with a friend." Helen said at last.  
  
"Must have been pretty bad." Seamus said keeping his eyes on the road.  
  
"It was. He doesn't approve of someone I'm seeing. He yelled at me and I told him off. It's the first real fight I've had with him." Helen said. Seamus looked down at her.  
  
"Who is he?" Seamus demanded.  
  
"Jake."  
  
"The purple bloke that was in the hall?"  
  
"Yeah, he doesn't like me seeing you. Apparently he felt stronger about it than I thought." Helen muttered.  
  
"Do you feel strongly about seeing me?" Seamus asked interested. Helen looked up at him o see if he was kidding. She couldn't tell.  
  
"I don't know." She said at last. "I usually don't get to work up over guys but if we stopped now I would be sorely disappointed." He smiled.  
  
"Me too," he said letting his eyes return to the road. "So it's to late to head back to school by now. Do you want to blow it off and have some Guinness?"  
  
"Sure if you have the Guinness." Helen replied. Seamus grinned wider.  
  
"Have you ever heard of an Irishman not having a Guinness?" Seamus asked. Helen shook her head. "Cool 'cause I always have a cooler full in the trunk." They both laughed and Helen sat up in her seat again.  
  
"Don't you worry about the cops?" Helen asked amused. Seamus shrugged.  
  
"I don't have a problem with cops. They pretty much decide on their own that it's not worth it." He answered.  
  
"I wish they'd decide that about me. It seems like every time I leave an department store the cops are searching me." Helen mused.  
  
"They just assume you're a shoplifter."  
  
"And they assume right, but it's still rude." Helen said flipping the radio on. Seamus gave her a look but smiled despite himself. She was just too strange not to smile.  
  
"Ok, here we are at one of my favorite parking lots." Seamus announced pulling into an almost unseen allay.  
  
"And why is it your..." Helen started. "...oh." The lot was completely closed off from the street by the sides of buildings. On each of the towering walls was a wrap-around mural of a deep and lustrous forest. Everywhere you looked there were a million little details that made it seem like you saw a new image every time you looked. And if you strained hard enough you could almost see a rock seaside through the branches of some of the trees. It was breath taking.  
  
"How did you find this place?" Helen asked in amazement.  
  
"I was stressed and I pulled into the first alley I saw. Little did I know this was here." Seamus said looking around with her. "I haven't decided if the reason it doesn't have graffiti is that it's so hard to find or if it's so perfect no one wants to touch it."  
  
"It's too perfect." Helen answered still dazed by its beauty.  
  
"Well I guess I'll grab the beer." Seamus said reluctantly getting out of the car. He popped the trunk and dragged the cooler to him. He snapped the lid open and pulled out four beers. Snapping the lid and the trunk closed he walked back to his door but Helen wasn't in her seat. A hand jabbed out of the back seat motioning for the beer. Seamus tilted his head so he could see her.  
  
"What? You're not going to try and tell me you've never had a girl in the back seat of your car are you?" Helen asked still reaching for the beer.  
  
"Usually they have the beer before getting into my back seat." Seamus said holding onto the Guinness.  
  
"Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to get in here and give me the beer?"  
  
Unable to think of a thing he would like more to do he pushed back the seat and joined Helen in the back. He set two of the beers on the floor and handed one to Helen. He was about to offer his bottle opener to her when he heard a loud 'SHCK!' next to him. She apparently had hers open already. So he popped his and to a long swig.  
  
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Helen and Seamus uttered at the same time.  
  
"Here try this." Seamus said. He swung around in his seat so one of his legs ran the length of the seat while his other dangled off the side. Helen taking her que from him she moved around so that her back was leaning against his chest with her legs spread out before her.  
  
"More comfortable?" Seamus asked. Helen took a swing off her beer.  
  
"Just don't get a hard-on while I'm here. I'd hate to think it was for the beer and not me." Helen quipped.  
  
"Can't promise that; it's too good of a beer." Seamus said tossing it back. Helen laughed. "I can't believe I'm doing this?" Seamus mused laughing as he said it. Helen gave him a funny look over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh what you're not going to try and tell me that this is your first time in the backseat of a car with a girl are you?" He shook his head.  
  
"No, but usually my motivation has nothing to do with cheering her up after she had a bad day." He explained.  
  
"Oh I see uncharted territory then? So what's normal?" Helen asked coyly likely.  
  
"Well now that you asked..." He tilted her face towards his so he could kiss her. He moved his head closer deepening the kiss until every ounce of longing the male species had poured into her.  
  
"And that's usual?" Helen taunted. Grinning even as he pulled away.  
  
"Why? Does it make you nervous?" Seamus asked grinning.  
  
"No, it just seems to tame for you." With that she spun around in her seat till she was straddling his hips once again. Seamus took a long pull off of his beer looking her up and down as he did so. One hand slipped onto the small of her back so the instant his finished his beer she was on his lips once again. She moaned against his mouth arching her whole body towards his in invitation. Her arms locked around his neck as they kissed again and again.  
  
Helen pulled back holding up a finger to wait. Seamus's hands fell to his sides as if asking 'why stop now?' Helen flicked her Guinness up to her mouth till she had drunk the last half in one breath. She then defiantly dropped the bottle on the floor. Seamus dove for her, entangling his hands in her hair, and pulling her full lips to his again. Her hands too flew through his hair letting he fingertips caress the back of his neck. This only made his kiss her more, harder, and ever more passionately.  
  
Their breathing was coming hard. Their hearts raced to painful levels every time the other touched somewhere new. Seamus flipped Helen onto her back forcing her to gasp in surprise. He didn't miss a beat and was back to kissing her before she could exhale. His hands inching up the front of her shirt even as her's inched up the back of his.  
  
KNOCK! KNOCK!  
  
Seamus's head snapped up. His eyes burning with anger and hate for whom ever had interrupted them. Helen had just enough time to see the cop blink in surprise before he returned to normal.  
  
"Your engine is still on." The cop said waving vaguely toward the front of the car. Seamus was still glaring at him. The cop stared around at the ground a moment clearly uncomfortable.  
  
"You should really think about turning it off." The guy mumbled. And with that walked away. Seamus pushed off of Helen to watch him get back into his squad car.  
  
"That clogged-headed flatfoot." Seamus swore under his breath.  
  
"First time that happen to you?" Helen asked sitting up.  
  
"Fuck yes." Seamus muttered keeping his eyes locked on the cop as he drove away. "If that bloody fool even thinks about telling my da..."  
  
"Your 18 and your dad thinks you don't have sex?"  
  
"My family's very Catholic. Me da extremely so." Helen laughed so loud she almost choked trying to stifle it.  
  
"You're kidding me! YOU'RE Catholic?" Helen asked amazed.  
  
"Hey, as the family says, only god can judge me." Seamus said dead serious. Helen might have laughed but something told her not too.  
  
"Well when he makes up his mind tell me." Helen said smiling. He laughed slightly and dragged her closer to him.  
  
"So besides the flatfoot, you feel better bird?" Seamus asked relaxing back into his seat.  
  
"Yeah, and by the way what does that mean?" Helen asked. Seamus looked at her confused.  
  
"What does what mean?"  
  
"Bird. You've called me it twice now." Seamus blinked at her in surprise.  
  
"Did I really?" He asked. Helen nodded. Seamus gulped. "Well it kind of means um...a man's...um...lady or...ah lass...or his-"  
  
"-girlfriend." Helen finished. Seamus stopped.  
  
"Yeah, kind of like that." He admitted.  
  
"Well good. Saves me the trouble of asking you if you want to go steady." Helen teased. "Well...since the cop ended the mood could you drive me home?"  
  
"Oh yeah sure." Seamus said. He got into the front side as Helen climbed over the backseat to her's. By the time they reached her house they had struck up and new conversation.  
  
"Hey Helen." Seamus said as she was getting out of the car. She popped her head back in.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I do. I mean...I do want to go steady." Seamus said trying to avoid her eyes. His head shot up with surprise as she jumped across the seats to lock lips with him. She pulled back smiling from ear to ear.  
  
"Good me too."  
  
(AN: Review or no more. Or at lest it will take a long time. Oh and tell me what you think about me writing something about Seamus's time in prison. It would kind of be a sequel to this story.) 


	5. Sparks Fly

Chapter 5 Sparks Fly  
  
An hour later Seamus pulled into warehouse 29C at the docks. The place was furnished only with 3 small couches, two lamps, and one large table. Two cars were already parked near the center of the space. The red Monte Carlo Seamus recognized as Connor's and he guessed that the blue Duster was Sherry's because the only other person there was Angus, and Angus didn't drive. Seamus pulled in behind the couch Connor and Sherry were making out on.  
  
Seamus and Angus ignored them.  
  
"Where the bloody hell were you? We searched all over for your ugly arse." Angus snapped storming up to Seamus's car.  
  
"No," Connor said raising his head, "HE looked all over for looked all over for your ugly arse. Sherry and I followed him and told him he was being narcotic." Angus flipped him off but Connor's attention had returned solely to Sherry.  
  
"Pop the trunk will yeah mate?" Angus said heading for the other end of the car. Seamus did and got out of the car. "Hey someone already got into the Guinness!" Angus's head popped over the lip of the trunk to glare at Seamus accusingly.  
  
"Yeah me and Helen had a few in my backseat." Seamus nonchalantly mentioned taking the beer out of Angus's stunned hands.  
  
"So that's where you were!" Angus said proudly pounding Seamus on the back.  
  
"Yeah, she was having a bad day so I...comforted her." He let the last words roll from his tongue wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Angus laughed but Sherry broke away form Connor with an odd expression on her face.  
  
"Hey Seamus, isn't this the third time you've seen her?" Seamus gave her a weary look over his beer.  
  
"Seems so. But what can I say? An arse that great deserves a second look." He replied laughing.  
  
"Which reminds me, when is that lovely arse going to be getting on the market? I'll like a bit of that if you know what I mean." Angus said laughing it up.  
  
Seamus's grin fell. His eyes narrowed into slits to glare at Angus. Seamus's whole body tensed up even as he felt like pumleing Angus into the ground. But he didn't because he knew Angus didn't know that Helen was now is girl. Seamus took a long swig off his beer to hind is expression.  
  
Sherry caught it though.  
  
"I don't know. She has a pretty nice arse, I might want to keep it for a while." Seamus said slightly more in control. "So you working the gate again tonight?" He asked changing the subject.  
  
"Yeah, it feels like I'm going to spend the rest of my bloody life in box asking see their papers. It's a good thing I'm always drinking when I do that job or I'd be bored out of my mind." Angus said tossing back more of his drink.  
  
"Hey Connor, when you come up for air, what are you doing tonight?" Seamus asked avoiding looking in the direction on the half-stifled moans coming from the opposite couch. When Connor did come up for air he glaring daggers at Seamus.  
  
"I'm unloading your ship."  
  
"Oh that's right, I forgot Merkin was coming in on Monday." Seamus replied. "That had to be the best 18th birthday present ever."  
  
"Yeah and the fact that you get half the profits from the ship has nothing to it either." Angus cracked amused.  
  
"Sherry what are you doing?" Seamus asked ignoring him.  
  
"I'm working the books at the club." Connor gave her a sharp look.  
  
"Sherry I told you I don't like you working there."  
  
"Come on Connor it's not like I'm dancing on a pole, I'm taking inventory in a back room. I don't even see the front of the club." Sherry said pushing out of his lap.  
  
"That's not the point. There are plenty of jobs that don't involve you walking pass drunken, sexed-up, louts." Connor countered trying not to shout.  
  
"Yeah and the pay is half as good. I told you I'm not talking about this." Sherry said glaring him down.  
  
"Well it's getting late so you might want to stop talking about it soon." Seamus mentioned glancing over his beer at them. Connor turned to glare at him.  
  
"No he's right, I really do have to get going." Sherry said getting to her feet.  
  
"Yeah me too, da won't like it if I miss dinner this week." Seamus said also rising. He flipped back his beer and walked to his car  
  
"Hey Seamus wait up." Sherry called walking after him. He got into his car but kept the door open. She leaned in so that the other two wouldn't hear her.  
  
"What's really going on with you and Helen?" She asked in a tone that implied that she wasn't taking any BS from him.  
  
"She really did have a bad day...and I really comforted her. And when I brought her home we both decided to officially become a...couple." Seamus trailed off looking very uncomfortable.  
  
"Saints preserve us! Seamus that's amazing!" Sherry exclaimed happily. She lunged forward and hugged him around the neck. Seamus laughed and pushed her off him.  
  
"Come on Sherry, it's not that big of a deal."  
  
"With a hound like you hell yes it is! You haven't had a girlfriend as long as I've known you. And judging by that look you were giving Angus you better tell them soon or the next crack they make is going to be their last." Seamus looked from her to his mates in horror. "Don't worry I wont tell them. I promise they couldn't beat it out of me if they tried."  
  
"You do know that you're too good for Connor right?"  
  
"And any bird that goes with you is already too good for you." She said grinning.  
  
"See you in the morn." Seamus said shutting his door. She nodded and turned back to her own car where Connor was waiting for her.  
  
"What was that about?" Connor asked nodding toward Seamus. Sherry glanced over her shoulder at Seamus.  
  
"Nothing." She said grinning again.  
  
Seamus was in Auto Shop the next day working on his car. His hair was tied back and his shirt was tied around his waist. He had missed Helen that morning and he was wondering if she was even in school today. Then again there was also the possibility that she had come to her senses and was avoiding him. For the life of him he couldn't see why he was worrying, he hadn't even slept with her. He sighed bending off his work.  
  
Just then a whistled catcall ran out.  
  
Seamus's head snapped straight up right into the hood of the car.  
  
"Bollucks!" Seamus cursed cradling his head. He spun around looking for the culprit. All Seamus could see was the garage door, a few engines, and not a person in sight. Seamus growled under his breath and turned back to his car. The instant he leaned over the same whistle cut the air.  
  
"Ok that's it!" Seamus yelled having hit his head again.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha." Seamus narrowed his eyes at the garage door. It was up slightly so that someone could easily slip under it. Seamus could just see someone kneeling by the opening, a strain of blond hair shaking with laughter. He looked around to make sure no one was looking and ducked under the door.  
  
He came face to face with a kneeling Helen.  
  
"Something got your fancy then?" Seamus said grinning.  
  
"Oh most defiantly. But I think the hood caught your head more than you caught my fancy." Helen said trying to stop laughing. Seamus kissed her dragging across the pavement to him. His tongue forcing her to pay attention to him alone.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in class?" Seamus muttered against her lips as he kissed her again.  
  
"Do you really care?" Helen whispered pulling him to his feet and pressing him into the wall. She slid her hips against his holding him in place. His whole body felt like there was an electric current running through him. It was like a switch had been turned on and all he could think of was the feeling he got when she touched him.  
  
"I'd have to say that in this particular situation I don't mind." Seamus muttered pulling her mouth to his. When their lips met it was like fire roaring through his veins. When her tongue slipped into his mouth Seamus almost fell to the ground. Instead he wrapped an arm around Helen's back pulling her whole upper body to him while her arms snaked around his shoulders. Each kiss blended into the next, each touch leading to the moment, and with the sweet pleasure of their bodies never leaving the others.  
  
"Shit, we have to stop." Seamus said pulling away leaning his body against the wall to breathe.  
  
"Ok, I have never heard those words come out of a man's mouth before." Helen said clearly putout.  
  
"Oh that's not what I meant." Seamus said quickly grabbing her hand and leading the way.  
  
"Good, I was starting to wonder about you." Helen said grinning. He turned, threw her against him, and stole her breath with a staggering kiss.  
  
"Don't." He whispered stealing and meaningful look at her eyes. Grinning from ear to ear he started back the way he was going faster than before. Helen was laughing when he broke into a run.  
  
"Where are we going?" Helen cried running to catch her hand. They turned a corner between two buildings. At first all you could see was rows of storage lockers stretching the length of the buildings in an unending line. Then as fast as a shot he turned into a sudden break in the lockers and spun Helen against the wall.  
  
"We're going right here." Seamus said trailing his hands up the sides of her hips to slip under her shirt.  
  
"Are we?" Helen asked smoothly stroking his abs under his shirt. He caught one of her legs between his and hugged her sides with his thumbs hooked just under her chest. His eyes were completely focused on her with frightening clarity.  
  
"Do you know what you do to me?" Seamus asked. Helen was surprised at his serious tone. She moved her arms to again encircle his shoulders.  
  
"Yes." She said gently kissing him in the hollow of his throat. He gasped as a shiver raced down his spine. Her fingers traced light circles on the back of his neck so that just the tips brushed across the fine hairs there. She kissed his jaw moving so slowly to his lips that Seamus though he might die before she reached them. He closed his eyes and she kissed them too.  
  
When he opened them again he found her lips hovering just a breath away from his, her eyes locked on his mouth. His head moved forward capturing her supple mouth with his, letting his slow burning emotions seep into her. Her hands moved to cradle his head in her hands as he shimmied up the back of her shirt to stroke her shoulder blades. After that things sped up.  
  
Helen's whole body arched against him as he pressed his hips against hers. The kisses changed from slow and lingering to hot and demanding. Their touch from gentle teases too powerful stimulating pleasures of flesh. Their bodies so close they seemed to breathe as one, or seemed not to breathe at all. Each kiss or touch perfectly preserved in all its magnificent glory.  
  
"I think I might love you." Seamus said leaning his head against her forehead. A breathless laugh escaped Helen before she could catch it.  
  
"You don't even know me." She said grinning but turned her head away.  
  
"But I want to. I have this stupid pile of information on you already." Seamus said exasperated. She laughed again.  
  
"Ok that sounded a bit staker-ish but lets hear it anyway."  
  
"Well you're not a natural blond, I don't know what your real color is yet. I know who your longest lasting boyfriend is. I'm guessing you date a lot, but not for long. You like rock music. You're a great swimmer. You have the most perfect arse I've even seen. And I know you love alcohol as much as I do." Helen was laughing again.  
  
"Well that is true."  
  
"Do you want to know what else I know about you?" She nodded. "You have this burning fire in you, it shines from everything you do. But there's this other part that that's almost fragile. One part of you is continually trying to prove that you don't need anyone and the other subtly asking to be protected. It's so...amazing to find that in someone. Am I freaking you out?" Seamus asked giving her a once over. She shook her head to clear it.  
  
"You're not totally freaking me out. It's just kind of unexpected coming from you." Helen said.  
  
"You're telling _me_? I am not the kind of person that says things like this. I'm the person that charms, sleeps with, and then leaves women. I am not the kind of person that thinks this much about a single girl."  
  
"But I'm not single, I'm with you." Helen said smiling. He grinned too, very much relieved.  
  
"Yes you are, aren't you." He kissed her gently brushing the hair out of her face.

"I need your guys help right now." Seamus said falling into step with Angus and Connor.  
  
"What do you need?" Angus asked eagerly.  
  
"There's a guy busting Helen's chops, I'd like to bust his." Seamus said leading the way down the hall.  
  
"Helen? You're still seeing her?" Angus asked confused and trying to keep up with Seamus's brisk pace.  
  
"Yeah I am, and this guy is giving her angst. And I, for reasons unknown, want it to stop." Seamus said rounding a corner.  
  
"What do you want us to do?" Connor asked only half interested.  
  
"Just stand behind me and look menacing." Seamus stopped short. There, two yards down the hall, was Jake putting his backpack in his locker. "That's him. And remember don't say anything."  
  
Seamus walked toward him and slammed the locker close in his face. Jake blinked and backed up into the lockers catching the look in Seamus's eyes. Seamus stood directly in front of him while Angus and Connor flanked him on either side.  
  
"Do you have a problem with me?" Seamus bluntly asked staring him down. Jake stared blankly at him.  
  
"Not a personal one." He replied.  
  
"Well you have some type of problem with me. So tell me what is it." Seamus said almost growling.  
  
"I don't think Helen knows what she's getting into." Jake said keeping a neutral expression.  
  
"And what exactly is she getting into?" Seamus said through his teeth.  
  
"Something she's not prepared for." Seamus slammed his fist into the lockers.  
  
"I think you're the one that's not prepared." Seamus said not removing his arm. "Now I'm not asking that you totally stay away from Helen, just that you stop hurting her. And the things you say about me really hurt her."  
  
"I'm just trying to make sure she doesn't get hurt." Jake said quietly.  
  
"I would never hurt Helen. And I am not going to let anyone, including her friend, hurt her. You got that?" Jake stared at him a long time before nodding. Seamus smiled and instantly fell into a relaxed position. "Well we have nothing to worry about then."  
  
And with that he turned and left.  
  
"Little smart ass." Angus muttered racing to catch up with him.  
  
"Put a cork in it, he's Helen's friend." Seamus snapped.  
  
"Hey I was just trying to help." Angus said hands raised.  
  
"He anything to worry about?" Connor asked stone faced.  
  
"No, if that didn't shut him up he'll at lest be more careful about what he says from now on."  
  
"Good 'cause I need to find Sherry." Connor said grudgingly.  
  
"Go do what you need to for your bird." _I did for mine._ He added silently to himself.  
  
(AN: Sparks indeed! I hope you liked this one. Check out my new story 'Better Left Forgot', a Seamus/Helen story where Dylan looses her memory. Well review or you won't see the next chapter where Seamus almost looses Helen.)


	6. The Green Tint of Jelousy

Chapter 6

The Green Tint of Jealousy  
  
Helen felt like she was floating. She felt so relaxed that if some had bumped into her she would have only hit them once. She had no idea that kissing on guy could feel this good; and the kiss was two hours old! It felt so good to have those nerves tickled again. She had almost forgot how good it felt. Or maybe it never felt this good before?  
  
"Well finally, I thought you would never come to lunch." Ann said as Helen sat down.  
  
"Sorry I've just been having a very, very good week." Helen said grinning. Ann gave her a long look.  
  
"Seamus? Or someone new?" Ann asked.  
  
"Hmmm...you can't beat the Irish."  
  
"You are so gross!" Ann said laughing.  
  
"Yeah but I'm having so much fun." Helen said taking a huge bite out of her grease dripping pizza.  
  
Jake sat down at the table. He didn't say anything; he just focused on his food. Ann looked away uncomfortable while Helen looked at him expectantly. Jake looked up.  
  
"What?" He asked defensively.  
  
"That's what I was thinking." Helen said staring him down. He sighed and sat up straighter in his seat.  
  
"I stand by what I said. I don't think going out with O'Grady is a good idea. But you know that's how I feel so I don't really need to keep saying it now do I?" Jake said. He looked over Helen's shoulder briefly then when back to his food.  
  
"But you're still going to be mad at me if I sill go out him?" Helen asked.  
  
"Yes, but I won't bring it up." Jake said with a painful smile.  
  
"Guy's can we stop this?" Ann said quietly. They both looked her.  
  
"Sorry Ann." They mumbled at the same time.  
  
"I'd say you were acting like first graders but I haven't know either of you that long." Ann said stabbing angrily at her salad.  
  
"You're right, we're sorry, aren't we Jake." Helen said jabbing her eyes meaningfully at him.  
  
"Yes, you're exactly right." Jake said taking Ann's hand. "I'm sorry Ann."  
  
"Whatever, can we just about Honors English now?" Ann muttered.  
  
"Of course, did you see the reading list for this month? I'm surprised it didn't come form a Jr. High mentally handicapped reading class." Jake said making a point of laughing.  
  
The lunch went on like that, with them talking comfortably through Ann, and not to each other.

"Hey, you going anywhere?" Seamus stopped with his keys in hand and grinned. He turned to find Helen in the middle of the sidewalk. She had redone her makeup, was wearing day old clothing, and had a ratty nap sack looking thing in her hand but she still looked as good as she did yesterday in Auto Shop.  
  
"I was thinking of having a few beers, want to join me?" He said leaning one hand on his car.  
  
"Well that's too bad, I'm going to be drinking on the beach." She grinned. "Want to join me?"  
  
"But I can get beer anywhere. What's so special about the beach?"  
  
"Oh come on I haven't seen you all day." Helen whined; weaving her hips side to side as she walked toward him. "Can't you just give me a few hours?" Seamus's eyes fell to her lips as she walked closer.  
  
"And what exactly will we do for those few hours?" He asked fighting not to reach out and touch her.  
  
"You won't know until we get there." She said stopping less than a foot away from him. Seamus sighed and looked away from her.  
  
"Get in." He muttered.  
  
"Yes!" Helen cried jumping at him. Seamus dropped his keys to catch her when her legs wrapped around his waist. He was so surprised he didn't then realized she was kissing him till she pulled away. "You're so...great!" She kissed him again and jumped down. Before she could run to the other side of the car Seamus grabbed her and kissed her hard, ramming his tongue in her mouth be before she could gasp in any breath.  
  
"You're not so bad yourself. You have the beer right?" She bit her lip and nodded. "Well lets get going then." He said grinning.  
  
Helen spun away from him to the passenger side door. Seamus laughed but got in the driver's side and started the car.  
  
"So what beach are we going to?" Seamus asked grabbing her around the back of the neck with one hand and bringing her closer to kiss her again. When they broke away Seamus punched it out of the school parking lot.  
  
"Oh did I say something about the beach? I only said that to get into your car." Helen said while running her fingers over the place he'd kissed.  
  
"Saints preserve us! I bet the only reason you're going out with me is for my car." Seamus said shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
"Well it was the deterring factor. There was already a dark haired sexy Irishman that; I have to admit, kissed just a bit better than you do. But he drove a Gremlin so what could I do?" She grinned at him.  
  
"You better not of lied about the beer." Seamus said trying to look serious.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry I did. I only have tequila." Seamus glared at her.  
  
"Do you always lie to get what you want?" Seamus asked.  
  
"Do always drink when you want to have a good time?" Helen retorted.  
  
"I'm Irish." H e said.  
  
"I'm me." She returned. He looked at her.  
  
"But do you have everything you want?" He retorted.  
  
"I'll tell you in a few years." Helen said quietly. She didn't sound sad, only like she was thinking about something. Seamus shrugged.  
  
"I could be anywhere in a few years. It's best to tell me now." Seamus said casually resting his hand on her thigh.  
  
"Well that's another reason not to tell you. Got to keep you in suspense for a few years. It may keep you around for a while." Helen said lacing her fingers through his. His eyes dropped to their joined hands. He hadn't been exactly planning on holding hands.  
  
"You'll a lest keep me surprised." He muttered turning back to the road. Helen laughed.  
  
"What happened to that guy who liked being surprised?" Helen purred moving closer to him. She sat in between the seats with one leg crossed over his. She held their hands to her so that her lips could just brush over his knuckles. He glanced from her to the road, then quickly chose to covet of her lips. Their tongues, lips, and teeth together in a perfect moment of passion.  
  
"I like good surprises. I don't react well to bad ones. I just don't know which one you are yet." Seamus whispered kissing her again.  
  
"I already know what you are." Helen purred suggestively.  
  
"Do you really now?" Seamus said grinning. It would be amusing if she did.  
  
"Yes. You're Seamus O'Grady." She bent slowly and started kissing his neck as she spoke. "And for the next few hours you're all mine." She whispered against his ear.  
  
Seamus shivered slightly, his eyes fluttering into his skull, before he kissed her again. He let go of her hand so that he could hold her against him. His hand sliding first up to her shoulders then down under the back of her waistline. He moved then under her shirt all the while kissing her with one eye open for the road.  
  
Helen's arms were looped around his shoulders. As the kisses changed from one to another she would slide one of her hands down the front of his body. When his hand went under her shirt her hand would dip under his shirt to caress his abs. As they moved Helen's leg would slide up and down Seamus's making it very hard to concentrate on driving. After minutes of this psychical exploration Seamus was forced to pull over.  
  
Seamus grabbed Helen around the waist with both hands to haul her into his lap. Helen quickly reached behind her and flipped the radio on high. Her hair was a blond curtain around them as they kissed. Seamus found his hands under her shirt with the webbing of them stretched under her chest. Her hips were throbbing against his as she moved with the kissing.  
  
His hands slipped under her bra making her gasp and arch against him. Seamus grinned around their kiss and even laughed at her instant reaction. He kissed her jaw, the shallow of her throat, then pulled her shirt up to kiss her breasts. It was so quick, so gentle; Helen barely had time to revel in the feeling before it was gone. He was back on her lips, kissing her, his hands slipped under her torn jeans to hold her ass. As they kissed he would pull her closer, his thumbs sometimes caressing her hip as they moved.  
  
"You have no idea how good you feel." Helen said brushing her lips over his eyelids. He laughed capturing her mouth again with his again.  
  
"Then you'll love how I'll feel inside you." Seamus murmured against her lips. His hand came forward and unbuttoned the front of her jeans. One hand sliding down the her stomach to—  
  
"Wait, wait, wait!" Helen said hastily breaking away from him. Seamus dropped his hands to his sides and stared at her.  
  
"What?" Seamus asked exasperated.  
  
"I told you on your first date. I'd go as far as I wanted and then I'd draw the line." Helen explained. "And I'm drawing the line here." As she spoke the last word she drew two lines above the waist of their jeans; one on her and one on him.  
  
"You have to be kidding me." Seamus said. "You're closing your legs on me?"  
  
"Oh my god you are such an ass!" Helen said pushing off of him.  
  
"I'm an ass? Look at what you do to me!"  
  
Helen looked.  
  
"Wow." Helen said. Seamus sneered at her.  
  
"Well thanks but that doesn't really solve my problem now does it?"  
  
"Well I'm not going to solve it for you. And if you're going to act like a damn pansy every time you get into trouble I'm not sure I should be around to tempt you." And with that she opened her door and got out of the car.  
  
"Helen!" Seamus cried. He flew out of his door and started to follow after her but was forced to stop when he reached the end of the trunk. "Helen would you wait!"  
  
She turned with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked angry and board at the same time. It was like she had heard it a thousand times and really didn't care what he had to say.  
  
"I can't say I'm sorry for what you do to me. But I am sorry for how I spoke to you. I don't want you to leave. I don't even care if you don't want to have sex right now. Well I do care but that's because I'm male. But I won't care if it means you'll stay. I swear I won't touch you as long as...it's...there." Seamus said looking amazingly uncomfortable.  
  
"Can I shoot you if you break that promise?" Helen asked softening to his pleas. He laughed.  
  
"If I touch you again I think I'll be the one shooting." He joked. Helen laughed.  
  
"I'm flattered. And there's even no Guinness around." She said with a grinned. He grinned too.  
  
"So are you going to stay?" Seamus asked.  
  
"You remember where the line is?"  
  
"Yes I remember. And I'll just have to do my best to convince you to move it."  
  
"Will see about that." Helen said walking back to the car.3 Weeks Later  
  
"You've been dating her how long and you haven't done it?!"  
  
"Will you shut up Sherry! I thought talking to a girl she would make less of a deal about it." Seamus said in hushed tones. They were standing outside of his locker.  
  
"I'm not saying it completely as a bad thing. I mean you are still going out with her. Which I have never heard of you doing." Sherry said tossing her red hair out of her face. "You usually sleep with them and dump them. And if they don't put out you dump them anyway." Seamus glared at her.  
  
"Aye, thank you, I'm a dog. Thanks you for reminding me. I almost forgot."  
  
"Fine explain it different then."  
  
"I've seen her almost every day, sometimes twice. We drive around, have fun, and we get so close only to have hit her brakes." Seamus said.  
  
"Well if you want a girl that puts out dump her." Sherry said. Seamus slammed his locker closed.  
  
"I don't want to do that. You have no idea how perfect this girl is. When we drive around we can drive for hours. She can make every moment fun and exciting. I just know that when we do get together it will be perfect just like her." Seamus said letting this quiet smile light his face.  
  
Sherry cried hugging him. "I'm just so glad that you found someone to care about." She said dramatically lower than before. She moved slightly backwards.  
  
"Oh and don't mention the hug to Connor. We wouldn't want my boyfriend bashing in your face now do we." Sherry said grinning.  
  
"Well boyfriends really a loose term isn't it?" Seamus said laughing happily. He turned toward Auto Shop and thought he saw Helen's blond hair round the corner and disappeared. But that was stupid. If it had been Helen she would've stopped by.  
  
"It's real sad when a man starts hualusnating about his lass." Seamus said walking to class.Minutes Earlier  
  
Helen was heading for Seamus's locker. She knew that he was usually the one that stops by her locker but she wanted to surprise him. He had really surprised her 3 weeks ago and ever since. Helen had really thought that not having sex with a guy like that would end their relationship. She hadn't meant for them to get that physical so quickly but Seamus just had this way of charming you and making everything feel natural.  
  
But to her surprise he didn't break it off when she said no. He didn't even make her felt acquired about saying no when she was with him. His touch was always bringing her to new levels and at times she really considered moving the line lower. Helen was starting to believe that if she didn't sleep with him there would be no one good enough.  
  
She turned the corner and stopped dead.  
  
"Oh Seamus I'm so happy!" As Helen watched in horror the redhead in the short lime green skirt and black tank top threw herself at Seamus. He caught her in a huge hug and he was smiling. The kind smile she had only seen when he was with her. They pulled away and Helen could see they were both grinning from ear to ear. The redhead said something and Seamus laughed.  
  
"Well boyfriends really a loose term isn't it?" He said still laughing.  
  
Helen gasped. It felt like her stomach had fallen clear into the ground. She was no longer breathing but she didn't feel the to start. Most of all she noticed was that she wasn't blinking. She couldn't close her eyes, no matter how hard she was trying she couldn't do it.  
  
She spun out of there at a dead run. She didn't care who looked at her she kept running. She tried to focus only on running. As she rounded another corner her feet slipped out from under her sending her to the ground. All she could think of was Seamus.  
  
"Oh shit I'm such an idiot!" Helen breathed to herself staying on the floor. She knew there were still people waling around her in the hall but she didn't care if they were looking at her. The center of her stomach felt like it had fallen through her to the floor. When she finally rose she was ranting to herself.  
  
"What the hell was I thinking? He said it himself 'he's a sleep with them and leave them man'. He just hasn't slept with me yet. So what does that Irish bastard do? He sees two at once, fixes the whole problem. Oh shit, why did I have to get so involved with him? I am never seeing that bastard again."After school  
  
"I missed you at lunch." Seamus whispered as he slid his arms around Helen's waist from behind. She whipped around he wasn't sure if she entended to smack his hands away or if her limbs had lost control in the spin.  
  
"Seamus." He didn't like how she said his name. She said it quietly but with so much distane that it bordered on spiteful. A puzzled looked crossed his face and he took a step back to look at her.  
  
"What's your problem? You're the one that blew me off." Seamus said mildly. He was too unsure of what was going on to get angry yet.  
  
"Yeah I've been thinking about that. I don't want to see you at lunch. Actually I don't want to see you...at all." Her face was completely emotionless as she spoke. Seamus stared at her, he wasn't sure he heard her right.  
  
"Exscuse me?"  
  
She rolled her eyes at him and started to walk away from him. Seamus shook off the shock and rushed after her.  
  
"Helen wait what are you talking about? I haven't seen you all day and suddenly you're breaking up with me? Would you just stop and talk to me. Helen look at me!" Seamus grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her to face him.  
  
"Don't touch me!" Helen yelled angrily chopping his hand off her. Seamus lost it and grabbed her again this time pulling her to him.  
  
"What the bloody hell are you talking about? Why are you breaking up with me?" Seamus said trying not to yell. He was not only confused but mad by now.  
  
"Oh come on Seamus you now what you did. I know ok, so just leave me the fuck alone." Helen said glaring him down. Seamus's face fell.  
  
She knew about what happened with Jake.  
  
She saw the look in his eyes and smiled grimly. She shook him off her and stormed away down the hall. Seamus was stuck in place all he could do was stare after her as she walked out of his life. 


	7. After the fight

Chapter 7

After the Fight...

Seamus was shaking all over. He was breathing sharply through his nose in an attempt not to start hyperventilating. His head was clutched in his hands bent over the wheel of his car. He had made it to the parking lot but hadn't the will to leave it yet. He couldn't stop thinking.

'What the hell just happened?! Everything was going fine! Ok it was going a bit slower than I wanted but it was fine. Every moment with her was perfect even if we didn't have sex. So it couldn't have been something I did with her. There's only one thing I could have done.'

"Jake." Seamus cursed raising his head out of his hands. "That bastard must have said something. I would love pound him into the ground right now." Seamus shut his eyes and shook his head.

"No that's the last thing I should do. If she were mad because I pushed him around I'd have no chance if I put him in the hospital. I have to talk to her, make her see reason. Like she would even see me." Seamus hissed slamming his fists on the steering wheel.

"Why the hell am I getting so worked up?" Seamus moaned as the answer leaped out at him.

'Because I love her.'

"Oh why did this happen to me? She's just like any other girl I've met so why did I fall for her? She has a spirit that's both vibrant and delicate. It's like a falling star that you want to hold for your own. Oh bloody hell I've lost it." He moaned dropping his head back onto the steering wheel.

Helen was walking as fast as she could from the school. She had made it about 3 blocks by now talking to herself the whole way.

"Don't think about him. You don't have to think about him. You are not going to think about him. Don't think, don't think, don't think." Helen chanted glaring at the sidewalk as she hurried on her way.

She knew it was narcotic to be talking to yourself like this but unlike most she had a good reason for it. If she kept thinking how crazy and pathetic she sounded she wouldn't think about him. Like how he walked for example. With his shoulders leaned forward, his steps quick and sure and the look in those hard emerald green eyes when he walked. Like nothing in the world could get in the way of what he wanted and if they did they would be sorry.

"OH SHIT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HIM!" Helen cursed spinning towards a wall and slamming her fists into it. She rested her forehead against the brick and sighed deeply. "You can't go back, it's done. There is no use crying over spilled milk that you didn't even spill."

She turned away from the wall, took a deep breath, and started back home. She waited until she was in her room before she started crying.

The Next Day

"I'm not seeing him anymore." Helen said suddenly. Jake and Ann stopped eating to stare at her.

"What?" Jake asked sharply.

"I'm not seeing Seamus anymore. I dumped him. Can we drop it now?" Helen said stabbing a spork into her school pizza and lifted it to her mouth to tear off a piece.

"Why? Why did you leave him now?" Jake asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ann broke in. "He pushed his luck and she dropped him on his 'arse'."

"Are you ok?" Jake asked concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine Jake. Why look so troubled? You wanted me to break up with him didn't you?" Helen asked sarcastically.

"Can we please change the subject? She asked us to drop it and I am fully willing to. You guys have been so up tight around each other this past month I could hardly stand it. What we need now is a party." Ann said grinning form ear to ear.

"Party? What party do you now about that we don't?" Jake asked settling back into his old self.

"Oh a good one, really big, really cool. Just the thing for three friends looking for a good time." Ann replied.

"Ok we'll do it." Helen said. "It's about time I spent some time with my friends again."

Meanwhile at the Irish table.

Seamus was staring at Helen's blond hair from across the cafeteria. He was trying to think of a plan of action. He was tempted to walk over there right then to try to talk to her. But a large part of his brain was telling him that would be stupid. Another part was thinking how her body felt pressed into his. How her hair flipped around her face when she straddled his hips. And how she responded to his lightest with such fire and vigor that it stunned him every time.

"Seamus are you even listening to me?" Angus said elbowing him. Seamus snapped out of his daydreams.

"I try not to listen to you as much as possible." Seamus said. Angus glared at him.

"What wrong with you? You've been in a funk all day." Angus asked. He didn't sound mad only amused.

"It's nothing. It will either work its way out or I'll get over it." Seamus muttered.

"Well that was vague, even for you." Connor said eyeing him.

"Where's Sherry Connor?" Seamus asked quickly. Connor's face shifted for a second.

"In the library. She's using the computers for some project." Connor said hesitantly.

"Oh don't give me that look you know my rules." Seamus said waving him off.

"Remind me again." Connor said.

"1. No married women. 2. No women with other boyfriends. 3. No seeing more than one woman at one time. In other words no cheating all the way around. It's just safer that way. Because I know you'd put me six feet under before I tried anything." Seamus said grinning slightly to put Connor at ease. It seemed to work and Connor relaxed.

"Yeah and your puny little ass couldn't stop me." Connor said taking a swipe at Seamus's shoulder. Seamus deflected it with a quick smack from the inside.

"I don't know about that. I've been getting pretty good over the last few years." Seamus said forcing a grin onto his face.

"Yeah to bad Angus is still a poofter." Connor said.

"Hey when did I get drawn into this?" Angus cried.

"Ah drop it. People can't change who they are. And Angus is just a good second man." Seamus joked grinning genially now.

"Ok for that little crack you all owe me a favor." Angus said. Connor and Seamus stopped and looked at him.

"Oh like that wasn't just planned." Connor muttered.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Angus said looking at his pizza.

"Drop the shit and ask already." Connor snapped.

"I want to meet this one chick someplace but I don't want to go alone." Angus explained.

"What like a double date?" Seamus asked.

"Not exactly, but you could bring dates if you wanted." Angus said.

"Fine we'll do it." Seamus said. Connor shot a sharp look at him.

"I don't know if I want to do this." He said.

"You'll do it." Seamus said staring him down. He waited till Connor nodded before continuing. "Anyway we need a night out."

A few hours later.

"You didn't say we were going to a frat party." Seamus growled as they walked up the walkway. He was with walking between Angus and Connor. Sherry was on Connor's right with their arms looped around the others back. And while Sherry was wearing a lime green tube top that demanded notice Connor was wearing a gray T-shirt with a black jacket with white trim. Angus had a dark red T-shirt with Asian writing on it and a black leather jacket that had so much metal on it that he set of metal detectors off from miles away. And Seamus just had on a black soccer jersey with white letters and trim with his favorite denim jacket.

Already Seamus could see three college boys strung out on the lawn that couldn't handle their liquor. Every light in the two-story building was on and hard rock music was blaring at ear splitting level. Seamus loved the sound of metal but he hated partying with poofters around. They always tended to piss him off. And Angus was always getting in fights when he drank around people he didn't know. Which probably explained why he brought back up with him.

"I didn't think it mattered." Angus said avoiding eye contact with his buddies. Connor glared at him.

"I am going to kill both of you boyos for dragging me here and then I'm leaving with my girl." Connor growled.

"Quiet, we'll find their crappy beer and be fine." Seamus said waving him off.

"I am going to find a keg and scare all the preppy fucks away from it." Connor said firmly. Seamus shot a glance at Connor's towering six-foot bulk of muscle.

"I believe you." Seamus muttered.

The doors to the place opened letting loose a stream of drunken louts and a renewed blast of music. Seamus grabbed a drink out of one of their hands as they stumbled by. He pulled out his lighter and popped the top off of the beer with the bottom of it.

"I am not driving any of you home just so you know now." Seamus said tossing back the drink. He made a face but took another swig off of it.

"That's fine. If everything goes as planed I'll be getting a ride with the girl." Angus muttered scanning the room as they entered the house. Connor rolled his eyes.

"I'll see you guys later." Seamus said heading down the hall on his own. He stopped near a side table that had some food on it. He leaned his back against the wall and took another swig of his beer as he watched the foot traffic come and go. It was a few minutes later that Sherry walked up to him.

"I thought you hated that shirt." Seamus muttered not looking at her.

"I do but Connor wanted me to wear it and he really didn't want to come so I wore it anyway. So why did you come dateless on this double date?" Sherry asked bluntly.

"You would have to be the one to notice." Seamus cursed under his breath. Sherry stared him down. "She broke up with me yesterday."

"Oh Seamus I'm sorry. Why?" Sherry said her voice full of friendly concern.

"I don't know for sure." Seamus muttered. Sherry was largely out of the loop of the more intense things Seamus and his family did. It was an unspoken rule to keep the female side of the O'Grady clan out of the dirtier affairs; that went for girlfriends too. And if his own cousin didn't want to tell his girl then it wasn't Seamus's place to do it for him.

"Have you tried talking to her?" Sherry asked quickly.

"What makes you think I want her back?" Seamus said shifting his shoulders defensively.

"You're at a party and you're not hitting on anyone. Look a red head with long legs!" Sherry yelled pointing. Seamus glared at her from under his eyebrows and took another drink. He glanced at the front door and saw Angus slip away with a brunette in tow.

"What am I suppose to do Sherry? She's the one that broke up with me."

"Talk to her. Apologize your arse off. It always works for Connor." Sherry said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Like I'm ever going to get a chance to." Seamus muttered looking longingly at the front door. It was at that moment that Helen opened the door and walked into the hall.

"Oh hell no." Helen breathed when she saw him. He was with that red head from yesterday with a drink in hand. Helen spun around so fast she was sure she had dug a grove in the floor.

"I can't stay guys." She said quickly brushing past her friends. She jumped the steps and started walking as fast as she could for the car.

"Wait Helen!" She heard him holler close behind her. "Helen would you just listen to me!"

"What the hell do you want Seamus?" Helen hissed continuing on her way across the lawn without so much as glancing at him.

"I want you to listen to me!" Helen was suddenly spun around by the shoulders and held still by two powerful hands. She was put face to face with Seamus's gleaming and focused green eyes. She froze as the shock of how hot he looked settled in.

"Actually Seamus while we're talking I just have to know something." Seamus looked uncomfortable but didn't back off. "Did you start looking the day I said I wouldn't sleep with you? Or did wait a week to see if I was going to change my mind before you started looking for someone that would give it up?"

Seamus stared at her.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Seamus asked completely confused.

"Oh give me a break, I saw the red head. Oh I also have to know, do all Irishmen like red heads over blondes or is that just two-timing dogs like you?" Helen snapped crossing her arms over her chest. Seamus was still looking incredibly focused on deciphering what she had just said. Suddenly his eyes widened and looked over his shoulder toward the frat house.

"Are you talking about Sherry?" Seamus asked looking back at her again.

"I don't need names." Helen said throwing off his hands and turning away.

"Will you wait!" Seamus said grabbing her by the hand before she could turn fully away. She looked at him again, walls up. "Give me just two minutes. That's all I'll need."

"And then you'll leave me alone?" Helen demanded. He nodded. "Fine, two minutes."

Seamus turned sharply on his heel and started back for the frat house trailing her after him. His hand was firmly set around hers as he dragged her up the steps. He paused as he entered trying to look over the tops of people's heads for someone. Seeing them Seamus plunged into the sea of the crowd. Helen was so concern with making her way through the throng of bodies that she didn't see who they were working their way to until they were right in front of them.

Helen instantly recognized the lengthy red head from before. Up close the green top she wore was even more reveling and seductive. She had stunning blue eyes framed by long hair of a natural medium red color. The man standing next to her was tall and buff. His black hair was cut very close to his head and had a brooding brow shadowing cool brown eyes. And while the girl smiled the man kept his face completely expressionless.

"Helen, this is my cousin Connor and his girlfriend of four months Sherry. Sherry, Connor, this is Helen Zzas." Seamus introduced. Helen felt like a thin layer of ice had sheeted the inside of her stomach. She blinked rapidly as the information flittered into her brain.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Helen." Sherry said extending her hand. Helen shook it mildly noting Sherry's elegant Irish accent. Something felt cool in her hand so Helen glanced down. Sherry had on a sliver ring with a crown, two hands, and a heart on it. Helen looked and found a matching one on Connor's finger. Sherry leaned in close to Helen still grinning.

"Seamus has been talking nonstop about you all month. I think he's a bit crazy about you." Sherry confined to her.

"Oh shit." Helen breathed quietly. Without another word she turned and walked as fast as she could for the door. She pushed people out of her way and busted out the front door and onto the porch. She pressed the back of her hand into her forehead and shut her eyes as she leaned against a support post.

"Are you ok?" Seamus asked.

"No, because I can't believe what a moron I am." Helen said punching the post with the heel of her palm.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Seamus asked.

"Hell yes!" Helen said earnestly.

Seamus took her hand in his and was leading her down the stairs before her mind caught up with her. His hand was firm around hers as if saying 'this is mine moved out of my way'. The warmth form his touch poured but her arm till her face seemed to flush with the heat. Her heart was caught in her throat as they all but ran to his Camaro. He did even pause to ask her where she want to go just got in and drove peeled out of there. They were going a pleasant break neck speed before anyone spoke again.

"So since you're the one that broke it off am I the one that's suppose to beg for you take me back?" Seamus asked.

"Or I could come crawling back." Helen said grinning. Seamus's head tipped back and made a sort of longing moan deep in his throat.

"Oh baby crawl to me!" Seamus said as one of his hands rubbed his thigh suggestively.

"No, I want to hear you beg first." Helen said as she moved closer to him carefully and slowly. His eyes were barely turning to the road now.

"Oh please, please crawl to me Helen! Just seeing you on your knees would make me take you...back." He said adding the last word as if it had thought of it. Her grin was ear to ear now as she pressed her whole left side against him. His body shook briefly under hers before his tongue plunged into her mouth; the kiss hot and desperate.

"Would it?" Helen teased when they paused for air. Then he was kissing her again as if there had never been anything else.

"Yes!" He hissed diving into the kissing with renewed vigor. His fingers were open and flush against her back holding her in place. She laughed against his lips giving her self to the sensation of him. Her right hand locked around the back of his neck as they moved in union with each kiss. Their tongues battling for control one moment and then devouring each other the next. Besides Seamus's few peeks at the road there was nothing else but them.

Seamus was the one that stopped first dropping Helen back into her seat gasping. The quick lung full of air was mixed with a kind of giddy giggle. Her hand was pressed to her chest trying to slow its rapid beating. Seamus was sweating and had to shake his head to clear it.

"I guess we're back." Helen said catching her tongue in between her teeth as the tingly feeling those words brought passed.

"I guess you're right." Seamus said rubbing her knee reassuringly. He left his hand there with his thumb slowly trailing back and forth over her jeans. "So where do we go from here?"

"I don't know. Where are you driving us?" Helen asked purposely acting like she had misunderstood. Seamus glared at her from under his thick brows briefly. She smiled to show she was joking. He rolled his eyes but was grinning slightly as he turned back to the road.

"How about here?" He said turning off the road. The turn out over looked a section of the city that was light up like a jewel. Helen was out of the car and in the cool air while Seamus shut off the engine. She spun around with her arms flung out about her laughing. Seamus came up behind her and caught her around the waist then pulled to him so that her back was leaning against his chest. With her still laughing he walked her over to the front of his car and leaned against the hood with her leaning on him.

"You take me to the prettiest places Seamus." Helen joked trying to stop laughing. He held tighter to her and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Good cause these places are expensive." Seamus said. Helen laughed and again.

"Oh what does a place like this cost me?" She asked. Seamus spun her around so she was standing between legs, his hand resting on her hips.

"Let's see what you have." Seamus said letting his eyes travel up and down her body. While he said it with a straight face but Helen could see the mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"But I don't have any money." Helen said pouting. She inched closer to him as she spoke. Seamus's eyes fluttered from her eyes, to her chest, and then up to her lips.

"Really now? I guess we'll have to think of something else." Seamus said slipping his hands under her shirt so that the webbing between his hands were cupped under her breasts. Her arms came up too rest on his shoulders laced her fingers together behind him. She leaned in close, her blond hair falling forward to brush against his face, and smiled.

"You'll have to help me I'm drawing a blank." Helen said running her tongue along her teeth. Seamus grinned too.

At the same time he slid his hands around her sides to pull her in her kissed her. His hands felt huge holding the sides of her rib cage his thumbs still under her breasts. The kiss was quick, hot, and slightly taunting. She responded with wrapping her arms tight around his neck and pressing her whole body flush against his. When her hips pressed in Seamus let something like a growl escape from his lips even as they were crushed on her mouth.

She would have laughed if his renewed waves of heat haven't taken her full attention. Each kiss was passionate and primal and she was having a hard time keep up. Her body pulsed against his in time with the kissing; her hands clamped on her elbow, and lower regions buzzing at his touch. Her eyes were closed but even if she had opened them she wouldn't have known where she was.

His hands wrapped around her back holding her as close as he could as he kissed her over and over again. His body was shaking but he felt like he was burning alive form the heat between them. Her slim body fit perfectly to his muscled frame. Her lower section grinding on his brought a blissful pleasure that exceeded all else.

All at one she was the one on the hood. She had scooted her way up it so she was no on her back and Seamus was right there on top of her. One of his hands running up her shirt to grab her but she hardly noticed with the way he was devouring her neck. He flipped her shirt up and had one breast in her mouth to do the same. The pleasure was a shock that had her arching against him and just as quickly he was gone and back at her mouth.

She was shaking and gasping every time his mouth broke away from her lips. One had cradled her neck as he kissed it from the other side. His free hand slid along her the front of her body to her jeans. He had the first button open and her zipper down before she realized it. When she did realize it her head snapped down and her body stopped. When Seamus tried to put his hand lower she pushed him off him. He landed on his ass and stared up at her dumbfounded.

"For the love of Mary mother of Jesus Christ, what the bloody hell is it!?" Seamus cried exasperated.

"What the hell is it with you guys!? It's like the only thing your brains have room for is sex! Why can't you just stop?!" Helen yelled right back getting off the car.

"I don't know maybe if we had some I would!" Seamus said pushing himself off the ground.

"Damn it you're a jerk when it comes to this. Why don't you just shake up with someone else to get your fix?" Helen shot back crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't want anyone else I want you! What the hell is so wrong with me that you can't stand the idea of sleeping with me?" Seamus said truly pissed off.

"Is that what you think? That it's you? Well it not ok!"

"Well if it's not me what the fuck is...it." He stopped as if some thought had just hit him. Helen's eyes suddenly snapped to his filled with dread. "Saints preserves, you're still a virgin."

Helen stared at him for a long moment and then turned and stared walking quickly toward the road.

"Helen wait!" Seamus yelled running after her. "Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin?"

"Because I didn't want you to know!" Helen screamed rounding on him. Seamus skidded to a stop and waited for her to go on. "And guys ever think after I tell them is either 'Oh I got to pop that cherry' or 'Oh shit I'm not going to get any I should dump her ass'. So if I don't tell them they just act normal for once. But then they get too pushy, I realize what an ass they are, and then I dump their ass before it gets that far. I just didn't want to happen with you."

"I never guessed. I thought it was something with me. It's just with the kind of guys you've gone out with and the way you act it didn't seem possible." Seamus said quietly reaching one a hand.

"Well thanks. You weren't bad yourself." Helen snapped slapping his hand way. Seamus frowned slightly at her sour expression.

"Helen I don't care. You know that right? You being a virgin doesn't change us." Seamus said peering into her hard eyes.

"Yeah so you say. I saw your expression when you found out. Nothing can be the same be-" Her words caught in her throat as Seamus kissed her, his arms wrapped tight around her taut body. He waited till she relaxed into it before he let her go.

"We're still us ok? I'm not letting go of you again. We clear?" Seamus asked quietly as if talking to a small child. She nodded starring into his eyes suddenly feeling quite clam. He smiled sweetly, his emerald eyes sparking in the headlights. "Jesus, giving me a scare over nothing. Are you ok?" Seamus said suddenly leaning in close to look in her slightly vacant face. She shook her self and looked at him as if she had just pulled herself out of some far off place.

"Oh I'm fine." She said quietly.

"I know you are." He said smiling and looking her up and down. "But I'm asking how you are emotionally."

"I'm fine." She said hitting him. He held his hands up in mock surrender laughing.

"Ok, ok. So you want to stay here or do you want me to take you home?" Seamus asked grinning wickedly.

"You're only mother-henning me because I'm a virgin." Helen muttered.

"Yes that's it, you hit it right on the button. Don't be a knottier Helen. I'm only asking to appear like a gentleman. I would much rather have you stay here..." Seamus stepped closer letting his eyes travel one more time up her body to lock to lock on her eyes. "...with me."

"Why don't we just go home?" Helen said grinning too. Seamus shrugged.

"Not what I'd hoped for but yeah ok." He said opening her door and leaning on it waiting.

"You know I really can't decide if your charming or just a smart ass." Helen said walking back to the car.

"Let's say I'm a charming arse and get in." Seamus said nodding inside. She stopped and kisses with over the top of the door to the car. He pulled away slightly dazed and smacking his lips happily.

"You're an ass." Helen said getting in. Seamus shut the door after her shaking his head.

"That works too." He said walking to his side of the car. He got in, revved the engine, and was off speeding down the road.

"So this your first time dating a virgin?" Helen asked kicking back in her seat so that her legs were draped over his lap. He automatically placed his hand on her knee and kept driving.

"No, you get a lot of them in high school." Seamus said keeping his eyes one the road.

"Ah, popped a few cherries have we?" Helen teased. He laughed.

"I said I dated virgins not prudes." He said. She kicked him, which only made him grin wider and make a funny face at her.

"Oh I bet by now you have it down to a science." Helen said laughing.

"Now that you mention it I do." He shot right back.

"Oh I'd love to hear it doctor. Explain to me my situation." She said bowing slightly in her seat at him.

"Your situation is to far away to fix but I'll give you a run down. My guess is that you're not really wondering if you'll enjoy sex when you have it. You more concerned about what the first time will be like. Will it hurt? Will it be a mistake? Are you ready for the things that sex brings with it? Will he be the mistake? Everyone has those fears." Seamus said glancing from her to the road as if to make sure she was listening.

"But you don't really know if the time's right or any of that till it's over. Then you know that all of those worries were meaningless. They were just thoughts and once your past them there's others, some the same and some different. But the sex its self oh that's wondrous. You can get lost in the pure feeling of it, the sheer pleasure it brings. That's the really trick with virgins, to make it so good the first time that the pain is nothing when compared to the incredible pleasure you can get from sex. The first time has to be perfect for them. If not the time, place, or person at lest the act. And that's about it." He had spoken slowly and quietly as if in awe of something far bigger then them. It took Helen a minute to realize he had stopped speaking.

"You talk a good game." Helen said. His eyes flicker to hers.

"I play even better." He returned. After a long moment he turned back to the road. Helen didn't say anymore, just sat there looking at him lost in thought. Seamus listened to the radio and watched the road. He didn't know what she was thinking and had no inclination to talk before her. They stayed that way all the way back to her house.

"We're here." Seamus said pulling up her drive and shutting of the engine. She pulled her self out of her seat to look.

"Well that was quick." She muttered getting out of her seat. Seamus got out first and waited on the hood for her. When she got out he held out an elbow in offering. She grinned and took it. He walked her to the door trying not laughing at the pair they must look like together. She opened the door with a key under a dead flowerpot. She was about to go in when she stopped and looked at him.

"You want to come in? Jim won't get in till late tomorrow. I wouldn't mind the company till then." She said slowly lifting her eyes to his. He stared at her suddenly completely off balance. His eyes were sharp and questioning.

"Are sure? Because if I step through that door I'm not leaving." Seamus said watching her closely. She grinned and stepped backwards through the doorway waiting. Seamus leaped through it after her slamming her door close after him as he wrapped her in a deep kiss.

(AN: Rating will be going up. The next chapter is call Make Up Sex'. Can you guess what it's about?)


	8. Comes Makeup Sex

Chapter 8  
...Make Up Sex

As the door slammed behind him he was already kissing her. It was filled with power and need mixed with a desperate longing from both of them. His hands were clamped around her face hold her tight to him. Her hands had fallen to his chest and before she knew it they were ripping at the hem of his shirt to get it off. Seamus pulled away just long enough to drop his jacket to the floor, pull the thing over his head, and he was back.

His chest was perfect. The skinny form rippled with muscles hidden under his flesh. Tight ropes flowed with his every movement. The muscles were evenly tanned to a golden brown. This bare section of his body reminded Helen of an Irish god with raven hair. These thoughts hit almost at the same time for her and were gone when he pulled her close to kiss her.

It was better than the first and the start of a long line of kisses that left them both gasping for breath. Her hands roamed over and up his back holding him as close as she could. He felt every inch of skin on her making it all feel like sensation had never existed before this. They air around them was charged. The world was spinning so fast it didn't feel real.

Leaving was no longer an option for either of them.

"Your room...where?" Seamus uttered between the ragged attacks he was making on her neck. One of Helen's arms vaguely pointed toward the back of the house before forcefully demanding his mouth on hers. Seamus stumbled in that direction pulling Helen with him. They almost made it when they tripped on each other's feet and fell against the wall. Their laughs were surprised and joyous. Helen caught his eye and together drove into the room locked tight from the lips to their ankles.

Helen groped around wildly trying to remember where she had placed her radio without breaking contact with Seamus. Finally happening upon it she slammed the dial to the radio and spun the volume up. The sound of rock filled their veins with a beat focusing their bodies into a single purpose, a single movement, and a single soul.

Seamus felt up the wall flipping on the lights. Helen laughed when her knees hit the edge of the bed and gave out forcing her to pull him on top of her on the bed. His body sunk into hers while his legs straddled one of her thighs.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Seamus breathed tearing her shirt up over her head. Helen's hands locked around his face like clamps pulling him in place so she could look him straight in the eye.

"Yes I am." Her words were spoken slowly her eyes burning into his with hard set confidence.

"That's all I needed to hear." Seamus said slamming his mouth back on top of hers. At first all he felt was a sweet brush of pleasure on his lower body, then they were touching closer than ever before, and at last the shaking in his stomach was also in every nerve of his body.

"Ok I'm not going to ask if you're ready again but we need to go a bit slower." Seamus said breaking away from her.

"You know in all the times I imagined my first time I never imagined the guy saying that." Helen said acwardly crossing her arms over her chest.

From this far away Seamus couldn't see if she was shaking too. He could see the gentle slope of her shoulder as it flowed into her collarbone. The sight of it distracted him for a moment just long enough to let Helen get uncomfortable.

"No, Helen don't get me wrong." Seamus said falling to his knees once he saw the change in her mood. "I don't want to stop. But the thing of it is if we keep going at the pace we've been going I'm not going to last more than a few minutes. But I want our first to last as long a humanly possible. That's all right with you isn't it?" He eyes were burning with a fire so intense that she could feel the warmth spilling up from her knees where his hands touched her.

"Now that's exactly what I'd hope you'd say." Helen said grinning.

"This is the part of the relationship were you have to trust me." Seamus whispered as his hands moved slowly up her thighs. He felt a small quiver run through her but her eyes kept locked on is. "Lean back, and try to stay very calm."

A rush of air left Helen's lungs before she closed her eyes and leaned back. Seamus rose off his knees crawled slowly onto the bed next to Helen's side. His eyes started at her half-buttoned jeans and worked it's self up. Her breathing was quick and tense as he watched her chest heave up and down. Seamus reached out hand and rested it lightly on her stomach.

Helen's breathing slowed under his eye but her body lay still waiting. With his hand in-sink Seamus let his eyes roam up over her denim-patterned bra to her pale exposed neck to where it joined her jaw. The instant his lips touch there Helen's whole body arched but against his, her head pressed tight into the bed. Her mouth gasped open in shock.

One of his legs threaded its self through one of Helen's locking her body around his. His free hand scoped under the small of her back to hold her up, his palm was flush against her skin. The kisses he was laying on her neck were long, hot, and left her burning for more. And Seamus was happy to serve with his mouth running from just under her jaw, down to barely above the slope of her bra, and back up the other side of her neck. Sometimes his tongue would lash out sending a new shock running down her system.

"More?" Seamus whispered as he moved slowly up the front of her neck sheering a path to her lips. A shutter raced through Helen making her release of breath shaky and hollow.

"More." Helen urged. Her arms laced around his head pulling him down into a long kiss that left both their bodies tingling.

"You do know that after this I'll never let you go right?" Seamus asked looking calmly from her lips and back up to her eyes.

"I don't want you to." Helen said as one of her hands trailed down the side of his face as she looked up at him. His eyes flickered slightly as he gazed down at her.

Seamus kissed her again. His hands lapsed over the front of her jeans and hooked his fingers around the top button. As his tongue slipped into her mouth Seamus slipped the front of her jeans open. Helen was so distracted by the kiss that she hardly noticed. Seamus slipped his hands on either side of her hips under her pants. Helen scrambled further up her bed kicking off her shoes as she did so.

Seamus had to force him self away so that he could undo his own jeans. While he was able to kick off his shoes standing he had to sit on the edge of the bed to pull off his socks. He shimmied out of his jeans when Seamus felt Helen at his back. In one arm she held her jeans and denim bra and let them drop to the floor at his feet. His eyes locked on the clothes and the air rushed out of his lungs as Helen's bare chest brushed against his back.

"Oh we are going to be brilliant together." Seamus whispered with a grin.

Seamus's eyes opened slowly. The morning light didn't hurt him because there was what looked like a blanket was thrown over the curtain rod to blocking it. He squinted at it for a while trying to gather a clear thought into his head. He must have fallen asleep again because after waking up again he noticed that he didn't have full use of one of his arms. Tossing his head to one side he squinted down at what ever was. All he could see at first was a blurry blond thing on his shoulder. Shutting his eyes for a second he pushed up one side of his body to see what was weighing him down.

From this new angle Seamus could see that it was actually Helen's head that was lying on his shoulder. Not only that but one of her arms was thrown across his chest, her palm curled over his heart. Looking lower he saw that one of her legs had escaped the tangle of sheets and was also draped across him. Seamus grinned rolling his tongue around in his mouth at if savoring a forgotten taste.

He fell back on the mattress and sighed loudly to himself. He craned his neck around trying to spot a clock or a calendar if need be. He noted that she was no better a keeping a clean room than he was. Clothes of questionable status were flung and over the room, not including the ones they through off last night. The radio and the floor by the foot of the bed were stacked with CD's and tapes. Posters of all types were plastered to the walls form things like rock bands, cars, and...the X Games?

Seamus was about to give up the search for the clock when he noticed one of Helen's bras seemed to be hanging off something on the nightstand. He snatched at it and reviled a plastic tennis shone with red glowing numbers on the tongue reading 10:34. Seamus groaned and rolled his head over to look at Helen again.

With his left hand he trailed a finger from the tip of her nose up to the middle of her eyebrows. Her face stirred but not enough. He did it again going up and down till the sensation finally broke through her senses. When it did she dived her head into his shoulder trying to get away from it. He laughed and gently poked her shoulder.

"It's time to get up bird." Seamus murmured trying to coax her wake. Her head struggled up and squinted at him for a long moment before she seemed to get who was speaking to her.

"Oh." Helen muttered looking down at how their bodies were arranged. She rubbed her eyes with her whole arm and then flopped back down on him. She looked up at him and smiled tiredly.

"Hey you. What are you doing here?" She teased.

"I don't really know. I just woke up and found this completely naked woman next to me." He replied. She frowned at him.

"I am not completely naked." Helen muttered lifting up the sheet. She dropped it back down and looked at him. "Look at that I am. You are too by the way."

"I should damn well hope so!" Seamus yelled grabbing up the sheet himself. Helen cried out and pulled the sheet down around their heads. They were then face to face under the cloth, they smiled at each other.

"Top of the morning to yeah." Helen said glancing from his eyes to his mouth. He kissed her slowly with both their eyes open.

"Howdy." He said grinning. "Are you hungry? Because I am suddenly starving!" He said pulling her tight against him. She laughed and hit him playfully. Suddenly her eyes flashed open and her head shot out from under the sheets.

"Shit what time is it?" She cried.

"10: 30 something." Seamus said confused. Helen spun out of bed making a mad dash to find workable clothes.

"Shit we're missing it!" She yelled pulling a blue tank top over her head.

"Missing what?" Seamus said looking around for his misplaced boxers.

"Saturday morning cartoons." She said tripping over her cut off shorts as she sped out the door. Seamus stopped and stared after her with his pants in one hand.

"Cartoons?" He said quietly to him self. Remembering his pants he strapped them on and followed after her. He found her crouched next to the TV with a remote in her hand rapidly flipping through channels. He leaned his lean frame against the wall and cocked his head to one side to watch her.

"Yes! We didn't miss them all. What?" She asked suddenly noticing how he was looking at her.

"You watch cartoons?" He said trying not to laugh.

"Out shut up or I won't make you my special toast." Helen snapped walking past him to the kitchen.

"What's so special about it?" He asked grabbing her from behind her tight against him so his head rested next to her ear. "Do make it naked?" He whispered. She smacked him.

"No I make it with peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and pickles." She said. Seamus let go as fast as he could.

"That's ok I'm not hungry." He said jumping up to sit on one of the counters. Helen rolled her eyes at him.

"Just be glad I said pickles I usually make it with asparagus." She informed him.

"Why would you do such a weird thing?" Seamus cried shaking off his feeling of disgust.

"There's this northern California town that has Asparagus Days. They made up all these cool recipes for it and I happen to like this one. I mean hagus is a lot weirder in my book." She said getting out her supplies.

"I will reminded you that is a Scottish recipe, not Irish." Seamus said glancing at how she looked in cutoffs. "How about you leave the veggies off the toast and I'll eat it."

"Suit yourself." She said shrugging. He watched her making breakfast for a while and then went in to sit on the couch. She flopped onto the couch with him a few minutes later. She laid her head in his lap and she waved a very weird looking plate of toast under his nose. He snagged one of the non-green ones and took a large bite.

"Much better than hagus." Seamus said looking toward the TV. She laughed gazing also at the TV.

"Well that's good to know." She said. And for a while they just sat there eating toast and watching TV in quiet comfort. With it being so late in the morning they were watching the last show of the day. It was one of the older cartoons made in the 60's or so and was called something like Penelope Pitstop. He wasn't so fond of the dumb blond with the scarf, or the 7 midget mobsters with her, but the bad-guy was growing on him.

"Damn that should be the last of the cartoons." Helen muttered as the show ended. Seamus's hand had been lightly passing over her bare mid-drift for the past half hour without his knowing it till Helen placed her hand on top of his. He cocked his head around so that he could look down on her.

"So what would you like to do now?" Seamus asked, his hand creeping up her shirt as he spoke. Helen turned herself around on the couch so that she ended up straddling his lap. Seamus's hands looped around her back so that they ended up in her back pockets.

"Well I do have some ideas." Helen said her arms resting on his shoulders. She was trying very hard not to smile but Seamus could see it glimmering in her eyes. Seamus on the other hand wore a broad grin on his face while his eye looked her up and down.

"Do you now?" Seamus said letting each word roll off his tongue. Before he got the chance to close his mouth Helen's own tongue was deep in his mouth. He sucked in air through his nose and released his hands so they could thread up her back and into her hair.

"Do you think 2 in 24 hours is asking too much?" Helen asked her fingers twirling in his hair as she kept kissing him. He used both of his hands to pull her head back so he could look her in the eye.

"With you I wouldn't think 24 times in 24 hours would be too much to ask." Seamus said grinning. "Really I thought it would be me pounding down your door once we had the sex but if you want to pound me that's fine too."

"You are so sick!" Helen said trying to take a smack at him. He was laughing even before he caught her hands, his eyes dancing with mischief.

"I'm sick!" Seamus cried in mock horror his hands digging into her sides till she was thrashing in giggles trying to get away. "I was just a poor Irish boy minding my own business when this American girl started molesting me! I was powerless to stop her! Powerless I say!" He cried laughing out of control as Helen tried to tickle him back.

"Oh you're a liar! I'm Australian in origin." Helen said.

"So that's where your name comes from. I just thought after your best ass-et." Seamus replied laying heavy emphases on the last word. Her eyes grew wide as she stared him down.

"Oh you're so gonna get it now!" Helen cried diving at him.

"Ahh!" Seamus yelled fighting his way up out of a hail of searching fingers. He was able to throw her off him and on to the couch. Once he was on his feet Seamus scooped up Helen right into his arms kicking and hollering.

"No, no, no, no!" Helen cried laughing hysterically. Seamus kicked in her bedroom door and dropped her on the bed. With them both laughing Seamus jumped on her, pulling her under him.

"So about that second time around?" Seamus asked grinning for ear to ear.

An Hour Later

"What are you writing?" Seamus asked. His hands were laced behind his head and his back was leaning against Helen's headboard. Helen was writing something just below his belly button with a pen. Helen lifted her hand away to show him. "Oh bloody hell." Seamus muttered shaking his head in amusement.

'This is mine. HZ' with an arrow pointing down.

"Just a little something to remember me by." Helen said crawling back up to him.

"Well doesn't mean you need something to remember me by?" Seamus said looking around her room for something. He smiled as he suddenly spotted something. Seamus leapt forward and scooped up something off Helen's dresser.

"What are you doing?" Helen asked leaning in. The first flash of the camera took her by surprise. "Ah! No, not the disposable camera!" Helen said grabbing for it. Seamus held it out of reach and flashed it again.

"What, camera shy?" He asked trying to keep a straight face. FLASH. "I'm only doing this for you." He said taking a shot of himself with a big fake grin on his face.

"I am never going to develop that." Helen warned abandoning her attempt to steal the camera. Seamus flashed the camera again catching her laughing.

"Well then I'll just have to do that for you." Seamus said flashing a picture of himself with his eyes bugged out.

"Oh if I didn't want to fuck you tomorrow I'd hit you." Helen threatened. Seamus grabbed her and hauled her to him.

"Oh you know you love me." Seamus teased flashing the camera on the both of them.

"I do you know."

Seamus stopped flashing the camera and stared at her for a second.

"Did you just say that you love me." He asked watching her.

"I guess I did." Helen said smiling. "That a problem?"

"No, I just think it's the first time you said it." He replied.

"Ok I'll say it again so you get over the shock. I love you." She looked at him for a second. "So...got anything to say to me?"

"I don't like say things I don't mean." Seamus said. Helen's face cooled.

"So you don't. You slept with me twice but you don't love me."

"I didn't say that." Seamus said sitting up straight.

"I knew you were a player. I just don't know why I expected more." Helen said calmly sitting up from him.

"Helen there is a big difference between who you go to bed with and who rises with you to face the day. Helen I haven't had someone like that before. But Helen I have never felt this way before. When you dumped me I couldn't think, I couldn't function; all I wanted was you back. So Helen I think I do love you." Seamus finished. Helen stared at him for a minute.

"You're really a romantic at heart aren't you?" Helen asked. Laughed waving her off.

"Now don't be calling a sow's ear a silk purse." Seamus said shaking his head. "I need to take a shower but we can do anything you want after that." He said getting up off the bed.

Helen rolled on her back and hung her head off the side of the bed to watch him go. There was a door to the bathroom in her room so he didn't have far to go. Even after he closed the door Helen stayed put and listened to the running water. She was debating whether or not to go in and join him when the door slammed open again. Seamus stood dripping wet with a towel wrapped around his hips looking at her in disbelief.

"You wrote it in permanent ink!?" Seamus asked slightly pissed. "I have to go to mass tomorrow!"

"What, do you take your shirt off during mass?" Helen asked with a huge grin on her face. Seamus glared at her. "Ah Seamus you I'm only did for you." She said in a childishly mocking voice. Seamus hooked his finger around to beckon at her. Sighing she rolled off the bed and slandered her way over to him.

"You are going to come into the shower with me and help me wash this off." Seamus said quietly, letting only his eye glow with humor.

"Well, if you put it like that..." Helen said her eyes flickering up and down his body as she spoke.

(AN: Next time Helen looses a friend and Seamus brings a guest to dinner. If that sounded cryptic to you...good. Review or you will never understand. Oh and by the way I haven't up dated on 'Better left Forgot' because of school and writing this chapter so you'll have to wait, sorry.)


	9. Dinner

Ch. 9 Dinner

Helen was bouncing through the halls next Monday morning brimming with the news of her now non-virgin status. She was at school early just because she couldn't sleep she as so exited to tell her friend Ann the news. They had both been figuratively placing bets on who would loose it first for a while now and Helen was dying to tell her she beat her to the finish line. Plus there was all the steamy sorted details she was going to share with her that would take up lots of time before class even started.

First she'd explain why she left the party almost after just getting there, then a full disclosure of the car-make-up-make-out session, leading to the involuntary discovery of her virgin status. She'd then go into how great Seamus reacted. What he said that night that had revealed to her that she with a guy that cared about _her,_ not just about what he could get out of her. He knew what she needed, what she was ready for, and that he felt as strongly for her as she did for him. She would then cite this as why she made the decision to have hot wild sex with the vigorous, demanding, and oh so orgasmic Irishman. Life was perfect…

…for about two minutes.

"What the fuck were you doing Friday?!"

Helen whirled to find Jake standing right behind her. His lilac dreads only slightly masking the seething anger coming form his eyes. Ann stood like a doe caught in the headlights at his side apparently as shocked as Helen at his livid tone.

"Excuse me?" Helen asked not for the first time completely confused by Jake's pendulum moods over the past few months.

"I saw you leave with him," he said. "What? You dump him on his ass and it takes you less than 24 hours to fucking let him back into your life? What the fuck Helen! You were out! What the fuck are you thinking letting him pull you in?"

The crowd of students around them were suddenly quite; most having stopped walking where the were to stare at the scene. Helen felt two emotions flood her system with the combined force of a hurricane: anger and hurt. She stilled under their grasp the only sign of their presence the tightening of her hands into fists and the welling of tears in her eyes. She rolled her head cracking every joint in her neck and took a steadying breath before speaking in a calm, clear, and hushed tone.

"What Jake, jealous? That I'm in a relationship with someone that cares about me while you're stuck yapping at Ann's heels?"

For that moment Jake's mask of righteous anger was replaced with the horror of a 17 year-old boy betrayed by his best friend. One quick look at Ann to see if she heard and he blushed a dark red. Quickly ducking his head toward the ground to hide behind his hair.

"Seamus and I are going to be together for a while if last night was any indication. And if you can't deal with that…Jake, then I don't really need you as a friend." Jake raised up his tear filled eyes to meet her gaze.

"When you realize what a mistake you made, don't expect me to be there." He turned and made his way down the hall without uttering another word to his once friend, Ann trailing behind him with one last look behind her. Jake left knowing that Helen was someone you don't let go of, and combined with Seamus's background it couldn't end well for her.

Helen would later look back on that moment and blame it on her youth, her naive, and her temper. But at the time she blamed it on love.

**Two Months Later**

"You miss them, don't you?"

Helen rolled her eyes up toward Seamus form her vantage-point at his feet. On this particular Saturday afternoon they were lying head to feet in Seamus's warehouse loft by the family shipyards. The numerous heavy curtains pulled back from the nearly floor to ceiling windows to flood the eclectic mess that was like home to both of them own. The bookshelves filled with more junk then books, over stuffed mismatched sofas pull from dumpsters, and old hardwood floors the color of weeks old coffee.

"Who you talking about? Connor, Angus? Hell no. Sherry? Well it has been a week." She said continuing to paint Seamus's toes Watermelon Rhine as was her weekly tradition of fucking with him the day before he went to Mass on Sunday. He could always find a way to get rid of it before going but he didn't.

"Have you even talked to them?" She tipped her head back to glare at him.

"No. To both. I don't want anything to Jake, Jake doesn't want anything to do with me, and Ann chose his side. There is really nothing more to it." She finished the last toe and got up. Seamus grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He kissed her long and hard. A wicked grin spread across his face.

"I got a little something for yeah." He sang with uncontrolled glee. She shoved him playfully in the chest.

"If it's anything like the 'little something' you gave me at the theater last Tuesday you can kept it to yourself."

"You're the bloody one that pushed me on the floor and had your way with me!"

"After you put your hand up my skirt! I still don't know how that fucking movie ends. All because of you." She shoved harder. Seamus grabbed two hand full of her ass, laughing at her attempts to get free.

"And who just happened to be wearing a skirt to the darkened public setting. And you liked what I did under that skirt, you repaid me with interest" He took one last hard squeeze and let her go, almost dropping her on the floor. "But that's not what I got for you today."

He leaned over and pulled out a white shirt box from under the bed where it had been waiting. Helen took it in both hands rubbing her thumb over the brown silk ribbon. She eyed him then eyed the present.

"What's in it?" Suspicious.

"Nothing naughty if that's what you're hoping. Sherry helped me pick it out last week." He said rolling to sit on the edge of the bed now. She continued to eye him. He gave an open mouthed laugh and push her off the bed. "Open the damn thing"

She suck out her tongue, pulled the ribbon off in one motion, and pulled off the lid. Helen stopped breathing as she stared silently at the contents of the box. On Seamus's part he had been expecting more of the Helen usual; yelling, jumping, panties flung in his general direction, ect. But the quite, almost reverent, way she gazed on his gift so completely touched Seamus in a way her wasn't sure he could define.

"You do like it right?" He asked shifting uncomfortably.

Helen hooked the straps in one hand letting the other drop the rest of the box to the floor to allow the white poka-dotted brown dress to unfold form its plain confines. Her eyes slid from the graceful curve of the neckline, over the wide matching belt, to the bell shaped skirt bound to swirl around her knees as she walked.

"It's like the one from Pretty Woman." Her hand flew to her mouth as if she was dimly trying to hide her smile.

"Sherry and I found it in a gently used designer store. Dumb shits that wore it once then dumped it for next season.." He tugged at the skirt to get her attention on him. "You always said this was your favorite dress she wore. I thought you'd like one for yourself."

Her head flew up and down enthusiastically. Seamus jumped up from the bed and dragged her to the full length mirror he kept near his bed by her waist. She held the dress in front of her by each strap with a dramatically cocked hip.

"God Seamus it's gorgeous. I hate to tell you this but I don't have anywhere to ware it." She shook out her hair to make her image more convincing. Seamus answered her between kissing each of her knuckles.

"That's the other thing," Kiss. "I was thinking that," Kiss. "We should have," Kiss. "Dinner tomorrow." Kiss.

"Tomorrow's Sunday." Helen reminded off handedly. Seamus switched hands.

"I know."

Helen blinked. Her brows knit together and she blinked again.

"You want to have dinner tomorrow…with your parents?"

He grinned and twisted her around so that she was facing him. He ducked his head down so that he was eye to eye with his bird.

"That's ok right?"

"Are you serious?" Helen asked dubiously.

"More serious than I've ever been." A slow drag of lips across hers before pulling her tight against him.

"Fuck, I got to try this thing on now." Helen said with a hard shove toward the bed. Seamus flopped down without resistance onto his back.

"You take what you're wearing off and you won't have time to get anything back on." He promised.

Helen gave him a long look over her shoulder. Without breaking eye contact she hooked both thumbs under the waist of her shorts and pulled them to the ground. Seamus sat up, fists wrapped in the sheets.

"Oh you're asking for it now girl." He grabbed her hand tossing her against him so that his face was buried in her breasts. Her hands that were threading their way through his hair suddenly stopped.

"I don't actually have to go to Mass with you do I?" She asked showing the first bit of apperception about the whole affair. Seamus laughed.

"After what I'm about to do to you, you'd burn before you got to the pew."

**32 Hours Later**

"This was a bad idea. I think I'm going to puke."

Seamus looked at Helen who was seated in the parked car with him. She was wearing the dress, the shoes that he had forgotten to give her with the dress, and his St. Christopher medal that she thought might make up for not going to Mass with him. Her make up was subdued as opposed to her usual, hair gelled flat and pulled back in to a giant swirl of a pony tail, and her hands were shaking.

Seamus grabbed her hand form her lap and looked her directly in the eyes.

"You got nothing to be worried about. My mum's a saint and she keeps my da in line. Just remember don't mention religion, the IRA, politics, the English (unless it is in a negative way), lawyers, the value of the American dollar, don't call football soccer, or mention the Dodgers."

"He hates the Dodgers?"

"No he hates their name." A thick Irish brogue dripped form his lips in a tone far deeper than his own. "Dodgers? What kind of name is that for a sports team? These Americans, what, they think they have to dodge away from the ball?"

Helen stared laughing.

"No? Really?" He nodded.

"Same line…every time. I am begging you of all the subject s to avoid, avoid that one the most."

"Got it." She said leaning in to kiss him silly. And she would have to if they hadn't been interrupted at that moment by a knock on the window. They both slammed back into their seats to look out the passenger window. They both stared blankly at the middle aged male man dressed in a 3-piece suit despite the warm night.

"Dinner will be served in 10 minutes Mr. O'Grady." Seamus reached across Helen to roll down the window.

"Tell my da we'll be in right quick, yeah?" The man nodded and returned to the open doorway. Seamus rolled up the window. Helen was looking at the house that the man had disappeared into.

"How much does a house like this run for anyway. I'm thinking somewhere between a Ferrari and selling your soul to the devil. Complete with minions and cronies." Helen was turned away so she didn't catch the look that pasted over his face. He hesitated before answering with a clearing of his throat.

"Nah nothing like that grand. My da made a lot of money in the family business and pissed off a couple of people doing it. He's more managerial material now but all the same he keeps a couple of his buddies around just in case yeah see. So just pay them no mind and enjoy yourself ok?"

"Hey now you sound nervous."

"I just don't want you to get a wrong impression of my family is all." He opened the door signaling that it was time. Seamus stuck out his hand as he came around the car and they walked hand in hand up the pristine white steps.

"Are those doors real hardwood?"

"Yep, made by hand in Ireland. Like all good things." He whispered in her ear.

"Oh and you too, right?" Seamus pinched her ass.

"Shut up. In this house I'm an angel and you're the evil temptress."

"The Angel Seamus, nope never met him. You're doing this to distract me aren't you?"

"Yes, tell me when it starts working." He pushed open the door and hauled her inside before she could change her mind.

They stepped into the marble entrance hall. Tastefully painted walls holding up eleven foot ceilings, museum quality art work hanging from the walls, statues propped on pedestals, huge tropical plants growing beside hardwood panels. A grand staircase on the other side of the hall lined with family photos worked its way to the upper story. The lone sign of mess was the abandoned dog toy by the doorway.

"Don't worry the rest of the house is hardwood. Every other year my mates and I have to refinish it." Seamus laughed swinging her around the room by their joined hands.

"And I do believe that it needs it again this year. Don't you agree Seamus?"

As the female speaker walked into the room Helen immediately saw the family resemblance. It wasn't the hair, for hers was deep auburn red mixed with brown highlights. The eyes were the wrong color, light green instead of dark drown. But it was there in the features. The curve of an eyebrow, the shape of the nose, or the way her jaw met her neck. But the intelligence in the eyes, the refined way she carried herself, and the breeding evident in her voice as all her own.

"Mum, didn't see you there!" Seamus glanced from her to Helen. "Mum, this is Helen Zass, Helen this is my mum Eilis O'Grady."

Helen stuck out her hand with a grip on Seamus in the other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. O'Grady. Seamus has told me great things about you." She said. Eilis shared a sly smile with her.

"So I take it he hasn't told you much about us then?"

"Not really?"

"Don't worry about it dear. If Seamus was being a thoughtless dolt you're not to blame." She said patting her hand kindly. Helen snorted through her nose trying not to laugh.

"OY!" Seamus yelled pulling them apart. "That's enough of that business!" Eilis winked at Helen behind his back. Helen was really starting to like her.

"Here's my shining boy! You took your own time getting here." An older slightly shorter version of Seamus walked in. Thick brows, straight black hair curling behind the ears, with beefy arms and shoulders. He wore a trendy suit rolled up to the elbows, no tie, and huge glittery expensive watch secured to his wrist. "Saints preserve us Seamus! What are you wearing?"

Seamus looked down at his dress shoes, slacks, and soccer jersey.

"What? I wore the slacks."

"I'll wear your hide if you don't stop acting like a fucking brat. This boy here thinks that just because he's my first born son he can get away with murder." He leaned in toward Helen with a wicked grin. "And he's right."

"Da." Seamus in a tone that clearly said 'knock-it-off-its-not-funny'. "Helen this is my da Michael O'Grady, da this is Helen Zass."

"A pretty name for a pretty girl." He remarked kissing her hand. Michael stepped back putting an arm around his wife. Helen blushed slightly. She tried for humor.

"I get that line a lot but usually in a different context." Michael's eyes turned serious.

"No I'm pretty sure this is the same context." Helen felt a sliver of ice flip over in her throat. Seamus laughed tugging lightly on her hand.

"My da's a comedian. He's been faithfully married to my mom a long time. He just likes people to think he hasn't." Eilis slipped her hand inside Michael's suit jacket and pulled him close.

"I put up with him because I have a sense of humor and absolute faith in his honesty." A long kiss with a lingering look followed this statement. Michael had a huge wolfish grin and a raised eyebrow.

"These two, they never let me have my fun." He eyed Helen over from across the hall. "But you don't seem to thrilled either, so let's go eat."

Michael hooked his arm through Eilis's and lead the way through entrance hall, the plush living room, and the old fashioned sitting room into the formal dinning room. A long dark wood table against the side wall acted as a buffet generously heap with silver platters, dishes, and plates. The main table was identical save the place setting for four and it's enormous size.

"Mum likes multi-course dinners but da likes to eat all at once. So they do it this way." Seamus whispered in her ear. Helen nodded.

"I know you said you weren't hurting for money but I had no idea." She answered back. Seamus ran his tongue over his teeth.

"Yeah um…you know that little thing you didn't want to tell me because you thought it would change our relationship? This is my thing." He said quietly. Helen laughed.

"Well we all have our issues." Seamus laughed and steered her toward the buffet were his parents were already helping themselves.

"We have a cook because we don't have the time to do it ourselves but we only hire servers for very large parties." Eilis explained as Helen came up next to her. Helen nodded taking her plate from Eilis's offering hand. "Seamus helps with that job every time we have a just family get together. When we have one of those we send all the staff home so that we can cook and present the food we prepare."

Helen glanced at Seamus who was following their conversation with undisguised distress. Helen could just see him swooping into a full room full of happy bustling relatives balancing heavy platters of steaming food on each shoulder. Setting the food down with a false flourish and being the happy recipient of hardy back slapping from an approving uncle or cousin. She smiled when he rolled his eyes up into his head before leading the way back to the table.

Helen was mildly surprised when Seamus set his and her plate down before pulling out the chair for her. He jerked his head toward the chair with a hurried look of 'hurry-your-asrse-up-before-they-relize-I-don't-usually-do-this-sort-of-thing'. As she stepped in front of the chair as Seamus mouth shadowed her giving her directions.

"Stand as close as you can to the table and I'll push the chair up behind your knees, then sit." Helen smiled winningly at Mrs. O'Grady across the table where her husband was doing the same for her. When they were all seated, Mr. O'Grady at the head of the table with Mrs. O'Grady and Seamus on each side with Helen on Seamus's other side, the conversation resumed.

"Do you have a lot of family parties?" Michael looked up at her over his plate.

"Not as often as we'd like to or as many members as either. It's hard when most of your family lives abroad." He commented.

"But you have some family over here right? Conner and others? Is any of Conner's family over here in the states?" Michael snorted through his nose and went to work on his dinner with renewed vigor. Eilis gave him a harsh look and smiled kindly at Helen.

"My husband isn't every fond of the reason Connor's with us in America. Connor doesn't have any immediate family here but he is here with a lot of extended family. It makes for difficult family politics." Eilis explained.

"I never really understood that. I mean he and Seamus are cousins and friends what's the politics side?"

"The simple answer is that Connor is fifth in line to take over the family business. The harder explanation is that Michael is not the first born in his family. His sister Mary is, she feels that she should inherit instead of Michael. When we came over to here to expand the market Mary's husband Alexander stepped into Michael's shoes and has been making play to take over. Connor's has an older brother David who's being set up to take over operations in Ireland after his father and Connor's being set up over here."

"But you're so tight with him?" Helen asked completely confused. Seamus shrugged.

"He's family. I've known Connor ever since I was born. His da's an asrse but Connor doesn't have to be like him. Honestly I don't think Connor likes his da much. If I had to pick someone to second me in a fight it would be Connor, plain and simple."

"So my brother-in-law wants a proxy and my son wants a second. And I have to be nice because they're all family." Michael sighed. "But the fact is our business was made by O'Grady's and it's going to stay an O'Grady business."

"Anyway, we are very fond of Connor. He has been Seamus's best friend since they could walk. I remember this one time they stole a crate of fudge that we were going to serve at a party later that week," Eilis started laughing. "We fond them sick to their stomachs in a crawl space under the house. And they were just five at the time!"

Seamus was glaring at his mum darkly from the other side of the table. He was the only one not laughing.

"What is this story time? Why the gab mum?" Eilis looked at Helen before answering.

"Because this is the first time you've brought a girl to Sunday dinner. So I know I can tell her about you because I know how you must feel about her." Seamus spared a deadly glare at his mother before dropping his gaze to his still fork and knife.

Helen had a slight smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth when he bit the bullet and looked at her.

"You didn't mention that I was the first girl to come to meet your parents." Glee and restrained humor dripped from her every word. Seamus kept staring at Helen, he licked his lips.

"Well this is going better than I thought." Seamus muttered turning back to his plate.

"Seamus, you should really use your words before creating situation like this." Helen said pulling him close so she could kiss the side of his head.

"What talk when you can act right?" Seamus said with a joking shrug. Eilis smiled and Michael just looked between Seamus and Helen with blank faced interest.

"Quite right. Why that has been true for you since…"

Dinner went like that for the next hour and half with Eilis O'Grady leading Helen through story after story from Seamus adventurous past. Seamus jumping into explain or defend him self when he got the chance. While Helen alternated between laughing her head off and telling Seamus to be quite. Michael said surprisingly little but kept a watchful eye on the entire proceedings. After dinner they had desert and after that fresh coffee for the conversation lasted far longer than the food did.

"Saints preserve us, I think I still have the pictures!" Eilis cried at last. Seamus shot out of his seat in alarm.

"Pictures? No, no I don't think so. Anyway it's getting late and still have to drive Helen home so maybe we should be-"

"Nonsense son. Helen seems as though she'd enjoy seeing a few pictures in the family albums and I know your mum would joy showing them. We can have a drink in the study and talk while they have at it. Ladies." Michael said with a nod before rising. Seamus stood glaring at the situation in general before he was forced to trail after his da to the study by the front entryway.

"Lord da? 'He could get away with murder'? Jeez do have to put me on the spot like that?" Seamus said flopping down into one of the room's leather armchairs.

Michael quietly made sure the study door was closed before walking sharply up behind Seamus's chair. He grabbed the back of Seamus's chair in one powerful hand and slammed the chair, Seamus and all, backwards onto the ground. Seamus cracked his head on the hardwood floor so hard that the only sound to escape his mouth a lone choked off gasp.

"Damn careless of you Seamus." Michael said before snapping a quick kick to Seamus's side. Seamus's eyes rolled back into his head as he tried to remember what his lungs were suppose to be doing.

"You tripped me!" Seamus growled out between his clenched teeth.

"That's not what I was referring to." Michael said crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against his massive desk. He watched impatiently as his son rolled onto his knees and slowly got his feet under him.

"Then I pray to God almighty tell me what the FUCK that was all about!" Seamus yelled holding a ginger hand to the back of his head.

"I was talking about you unprecedented lack of future thinking." Seamus eyebrows pulled together in puzzlement. "Not clear enough for yeah? Ok, how about how you've let a wisp of a girl who got a hold of your dick get a hold of the rest of you?"

The outrage came first and stayed strongest. Followed closely shock and disbelief. With the shame of a son disappointing his father a pale shadow playing faintly in the background.

"W-what?" Michael rolled his eyes to glare at the ceiling.

"You've known the girl for what? Three months? Four? She's here in my house asking about my family matters and my family history? You're so fucking invested between her legs you can't pull your head out to see what else is going on!" Seamus had to close his mouth, which had fallen open while his da was talking.

"What the hell da? She's my girl. Of coarse she's going to want to know about me. Why the hell shouldn't she?" Michael leveled a heavy look on him.

"Do you remember what happened to Charlie's wife?"

Seamus took a step forward before he could stop. His body trembled with the effort not to throw himself at his father for even mentioning such a thing.

"It's not like that." Seamus said, his voice hard as polished steel. Michael nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right. At lest with Charlie's wife she was invested. She was going to stick around. She wasn't some temporary roll in the hay. Gathering information before she ships off to locations unknown."

"It's not like she's a fucking cop da! She fucking hates them. Lofty fuck-heads that don't do shit but harass people! Her words not mine." Seamus's voice seemed to keep rising while his father's only got calmer, colder.

"No, son she's not a cop. But she's not going to stay. One day she's going to be an angry ex with an active mouth. And soon enough someone's going to listen to the words she has to say about you. I'm not saying you can't tell her things about your self, just don't tell her anything important. Unless you can deal with the mess afterwards." Seeing Seamus's expression Michael sighed and laid a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder.

"Hell Seamus she seems like a fine gal. Don't hesitant to bring her around again sometime. Your mum seems to be very fond of her." He patted Seamus's shoulder before turning to the scotch on his desk. He pulled out two glasses and poured an equal share in each one.

Michael laughed while handing Seamus his portion. "She's not even Catholic for crying out loud!"

Seamus stared mutely at the contents of his glass while his father tossed back his glass with another chuckle. His hands has lost the angry tension that had over came him only moments earlier. His breathing had slowed and his eyes drifted to the door.

"It's late. I promised I'd have her home before midnight. I'll see you next Sunday." He set his glass down and was out the door before his father could stop him. Seamus wasn't sure he could remember that last time he'd lied to his father's face.

In the car Seamus was fuming. His entire body was coiled tight and he could feel himself moving too quickly, flipping the turn signal too hard, or accelerating just a sliver too fast.

His father thought he was an irresponsible child that he couldn't judge the people he was with. Hadn't he proved himself that he had the balls to run the business, to take care of problems that arose, or what to tell to who. Honesty Seamus loved working for his father, sometimes he was a real hard ass but he enjoyed the work and the personal connection he felt doing it. Sometimes he had to do the tedious shit like unload the important shipments off the ship but the protection and extortion was very satisfying.

Seamus took the protection part of the business more seriously than most who ran the gamut. He took a reasonable calm approach with those who paid and in return he gave them top quality service. In his mind there were two types of protection rackets: were their silence is assured through fear or just a touch of gratitude. If someone hassled the people under the O'Grady protection they paid of it and were marked. After a fun session in one of the O'Grady warehouses Seamus would chop off the tip of a finger. Which finger and how much of it depended on how much they moved around.

When his father asked him to deal with a troubled associate he not only did it; he reviled in it. If someone betrayed the family they got his A-Game. He and a Connor had brought this one guy down to the warehouse and started tearing into him. Toward the end they gave him the option of splashing battery acid into his own eye or they'd keep going. Just to show how much they respected his choice they dropped him at the hospital afterward. He almost never had to kill them; most were never that dumb.

"Your dad scared the shit out of me."

Seamus was brought back to the car in a hurry.

"What's that?"

Helen shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. He suddenly noticed how distance she'd been since they got in the car. She hadn't said a thing since they left the house, which for Helen was about as big a sign as there was.

"Your mom was great but…your dad was…sort of scary as hell." Seamus pressed his fist to his temple and took a long drag through his nose.

"Did he say anything too you?"

"No." She sort of laughed under her breath. "Nothing like that. He just…" Helen trailed off and didn't finish. Seamus started tapping the stirring wheel trying to wait but his patience didn't last long.

"He just what?" She shook her head and hunkered down sideways in the seat facing him. "Do you remember the time in the bar last month when that guy took a shot at me and you beat his face in? You had a look in your eyes that…if it had been directed at me I wouldn't have felt safe around you ever again. As it was I was very flattered. Your dad has those eyes all the time."

"Yeah, my da's a tad bit scary. He is who he is. He protects the thosehe loves and handles the rest as it comes." Helen brought his hand away from his temple.

"And you love me right?" Seamus looked down at hers hands wrapped around his.

He pulled her close and whispered against her lips.

"I couldn't stand to live without you."

The kiss was long, slow, and sweet. If only it could have stayed that way.

**AN: I LIVE! You poor people I am so sorry I took me this long to up date. Most of you have probibly given up by now but those who haven't know this…I WILL FINISH BOTH CHARLE'S ANGELS STORIES. Review and let me know you're still out there.**


	10. Drinks, Fights, and Revelations

Chapter 10

Drinks, Fights, and Revelations.

"So then he said 'How did you think I rang the doorbell?'" The booth exploded with laughter making half spill their drinks. Sherry was the only one not amused by Angus' joke.

"That's foul." She said before downing her drink. This brought on even more drunken laughter.

"It was a joke about a bloke with no arms or legs on a date with a super model...how did you think he rang the bell?" Seamus asked loudly. Helen smacked him on the shoulder because Sherry was too polite to do it herself.

"Fuck you Seamus." Was Sherry's response. Helen was going to have to rethink that too polite business.

"All this lady yapping has reminded me why I only tell these jokes in the loo. Be back in a flash." Angus barely got this out before practically falling out of his chair. Seamus was laughing harder than ever.

"You flash my lady and I'll cut it off for yeah and you'll be telling your jokes in the ladies room." Angus flipped him off American style before making his way through the crowded bar to the other side of the room to where the bathrooms were located.

"Man I love bars." Helen said swirling her shot of whiskey before tipping her head back to drink it straight. "To think I would have had to wait another 4 years if I hadn't known somebody so well connected." Her eyes drifted to Seamus with a big grin. He pulled her close to him and proceed to kiss the remainder of whiskey away.

"Hhhmmm...you'd have found a way before then. You're too sexy and clever not too"

"I just remembered why no one likes a couple." Conner muttered into his glass. They both glared at him.

"So is that why you and Sherry haven't been around much lately? You think we hate you?" Helen asked him playfully. It was Sherry who answered though.

"No, nothing like that. We just like being alone sometimes. Quality time you know?" She was looking at Conner as she said it; a soft smile on her face.

"Ah saints preserve us, now I remember why no one likes a couple. Where the fuck is Angus? He's been going to that bathroom more that and alcoholic with bladder infection." Seamus moaned as Sherry and Conner locked lips.

"I'm sure he's just got a lot of business to attend to in there." Conner murmured kissing Sherry again. Seamus' playful mood slowly flitted away as he thought over Conner's phrasing.

"What do yeah mean by that?" Conner looked over quickly at Seamus' tone. His brows pulled together as he mulled something over. Seamus waited him out; suddenly quite motionless.

"Nothing. He just seems to make a lot of mates every time he goes over there." Seamus followed Conner's leading eye to the other side of the room where they could just make out Angus talking to some gaunt skinny college boy type.

He kept watching as both of them, while continuing to talk, put a hand into their jacket pockets. Then as they parted they shook hands. Seamus watched livid as the college kid almost dropped what Angus had tried to pass him. The kid left immediately and Angus sauntered casually into the bathroom tucking something into his front jacket pocket. Seamus looked at Conner eyes narrowed.

"How long he been making friends like that?" Connor shrugged.

"My guess is sometime since that frat party." Seamus nodded trying to display a mask of calm while Helen was so close. Sherry had started up some conversation with her and he was almost positive she didn't have the faintest clue what he'd been saying to Connor.

"Have to go to the loo. Be back right quick." He was gone from the table before Helen could reply. As he tried to weave his way through the crowd Seamus became increasingly madder until he was practically shoving people out of his way by the time he reached the bathroom. The heel of his Dock Martins kicked into swinging door freezing Angus in place; his hands still holding the money he had been counting.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" Seamus yelled slamming the door behind him. Angus seemed to come back to himself and tried to shove the money back into the pocket where he'd got it.

"Nothing man. Just goanna take a piss." Seamus grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him into the wall knocking the wind out of him.

"A piss?! Really?! Huh, then what pray-tell," He said driving his hand into one of Angus' side pockets, "is THIS!?"

The floor was now littered with little clear packages filled with white powder. Angus's face went pale as Seamus' got even redder.

"It's just a little side money. Nothing big." Seamus glared at him like he was an idiot. Which he was starting to see was probably the case.

"You start a business without my consent. Then you operate it on a rival family's turf! And this is not my concern?! You could have gotten yourself killed and the family into a fuckin' war! How can you be that fucking stupid!?"

"I only do a little and I'm super discrete. The Italians aren't going to find out." Angus reassured, bending to pick up the fallen merchandise. Seamus dove his fingers threw his hair as he tried, with little success to calm down.

"It is a little thing but we have an agreement. Different families can go into each other's establishments as long as they DON'T DO ANY BUSINESS THERE! And THAT is exactly what you've done. You better hope that they don't know shit."

"They don't I swear."

"Good. Then once this is gone you're not getting anymore. And the stuff you do have you're not selling here. Or anywhere else that isn't flying the FUCKIN' IRISH FLAG, you got me?!" Angus stared abashed at his feet and nodded solemnly.

"Ok then, we're agreed." Seamus let out a sigh of relief letting go of a lot of his anger at the same time. "Now let's go back to the fuckin' table before anymore of your loser clients come looking for you. Unless by some fuckin' miracle you were telling the truth and you do have to fucking piss?" Angus shook his head.

"Didn't fuckin' think so." He muttered before pushing open the bathroom door again. He stopped in his tracks almost immediately.

"Where the FUCK is everybody?!"

Moments ago...

"Where the hell did Seamus say he was going?" Helen asked Connor. He shrugged and took a swig of his beer. Helen rolled her eyes at him and flipped him off. Sherry gave her a reproachful look and Helen rolled her eyes at her too. She was just about to continue their conversation on the merits of professional wrestling over monster trucks when one of the male waiters walked up.

"A drink from the gentleman." He said before placing what was obviously a Sex-on-the-Beach in front of Sherry. Sherry looked at him bewildered.

"W-what?" Wordlessly the waiter pointed to a man at the bar who was smiling pleasantly in their direction. Sherry swiftly looked away trying to avoid eye contact with him. "I-I don't want the drink. Take it back."

"He tipped me extra not to. Sorry miss." Before Sherry could figure out what to do the waiter was gone.

"Who is that?" Connor demanded. Sherry turned to him equally as upset.

"I have no idea! He's some fucking jerk at a bar. He can obviously see I'm with you and is trying to ruin our night. I say we just forget about him."

"He looks like he knows you." Conner replied quietly. Helen jumped across the table and grabbed the drink.

"Problem solved. I'll just go tell him we don't take fag drinks. And everyone can move on." As soon as she finished speaking she was gone from the table leaving Sherry and Connor to quietly scwabble about the drink in private.

"The waiter got your table wrong. Next time just say you're sitting at the bar." Helen said slamming the drink on the counter hard enough that some of it spilled from the glass and on to his pants. He acted like it didn't bother him.

"Now that's not right. The red head was supposed to bring the drink back so we could arrange to meet up after her guy friend's gone." Helen shook her head in disgust.

"Go hit on people your own age creepy desperate man. I'm going back to my friends now." He looked around her.

"What friends?" Helen turned around and sure enough Sherry and Connor were getting up from the table; Connor practically dragging Sherry by the arm.

"Ah fuck." Helen muttered in a vaguely Irish accent and started trying to rush back to the table. She was going so fast she didn't see the bouncer she ran into until it was too late. She collided so hard in fact that she was knocked on her ass with all the wind pushed out of her.

"And where do you think you're going?" The Block-Head-Bouncer-Guy-Who-Was-Obviously

-Not-As-Affected-As-She-Was-By-The-Impact. All she could do was wave vaguely in the direction of their table.

"My friends." He eyed her like he was trying to decide what he didn't like about her most. The bleached hair? The bubble gum pink lipstick? Or the baby doll T-shirt cut off right below her chest that said 'Fck the man!'? It really could have been anything.

"You got ID?" Helen pushed herself off the floor.

"You new? I come in here all the time with the fucking regulars. We never get carded 'cause they fuckn' know us. Now get your steroid pushing, small dick, authoritarian complex out of my way!" This last comment was said from two inches away looking nearly two feet up directly into his fuming eyes.

Helen didn't even see him move before she was thrown over his shoulder with the wind knock out of her once again. Before she could recover her breath she was sailing through the air and landed face first in the parking lot.

"Fck the man..." She whispered rising to her hands and knees. "Why can't I ever _just_ walk out of a bar?"

She had just managed to get to her feet when she remembered why she was in such a rush in the first place. She'd been trying to talk to Sherry and Connor before the left. She looked around where she was and couldn't see them. With how long Behemoth took to toss her out outside they had probably already made it to their car. Cursing her luck she started for where she remembered seeing them park. To her chagrin noticing she had a slight limp from landing on her hip badly.

"Got to learn some fuckin' karate rolls or something." She muttered as she neared the spot. She could just now make out Sherry and Connor fighting by the passenger side door but was too far away to hear them. Sherry was waving one hand in the direction of the bar while Connor continued to shake his head. Helen was just about to call out to them when something happened so shocking that she forgot how to speak.

Connor, faster than Helen could think possible, punched Sherry so hard in the gut that she fell to her knees in front of him. Helen stared unable to move.

In one swift motion he grabbed Sherry by the hair, opened the car door, and tossed her inside. She apparently had enough sense left to pull in her legs before he slammed the door close and got into the other side. Helen could just barely see the top of Sherry's head as Connor peeled out of the parking lot. It took Helen a second to realize she was running after the car even though her brain had been unable to call out. She stopped in the middle of the parking lot and ran for Seamus' car. When she got there she jumped into the driver seat only then realizing she didn't have the keys. She never had the keys, this was Seamus' car, and she needed Seamus. Once again she was running back to the bar before her brain could catch but with her.

"Seamus!" The first words she'd spoken since she'd seen it. She was still too far away from the bar to be heard over the music but she kept yelling. "Seamus!"

As she was running full tilt for the front door she could see the pink version of the Jolly Green Giant baring her path. Instead of slowing down she ran faster waiting till the last second to, for lack of a better term, leap over him. While she came nowhere close to getting past him she did succeed in getting enough height to elbow him in the nose. This in turn only made him madder and Helen all the more desperate to get by.

"Seamus! Seamus! Let me go you shit head! Seamus!" This and many more imaginative things few out of Helen's mouth as she did her best to kick, wiggle, and bite her way free. "SEAMUS!"

CRACK!

"AAAHHHH!" Paul Bunion dropped like a sack of potatoes taking Helen with him. He fell with both hands clutched around his left knee moaning in pain. As soon as Helen scrambled clear a red doc martin flew past her face to pin him to the floor by his neck. His eyes bugged way out of their sockets as he looked up at the most pissed of Irishman he'd probably ever see again.

"Keep your hands off my girl." For a few breathless moments Helen felt sheer terror as she looked into Seamus' eyes. She looked down suddenly realizing that he had dislocated the guy's knee and was continuing to cut off his air. Seamus turned his attention back to Helen completely indifferent to the man gasping for breath beneath him. "Did he hurt you? I could make him pay if he hurt you."

"N-no. No but we have to go. We have to go now." Seamus looked down at the man crushed under his feet.

"Oh I don't think anyone is going to make a fuss over this." Helen was shaking her head rising to her feet with sudden urgency.

"No, no, no we have to go. We have to go right now." Helen started pulling Seamus by the wrist dragging him as fast as she could toward the car. "We need to drive. We need to go now."

It was surprisingly easy to pull Seamus to the car. This was largely due to the fact that he was so very dumbfounded by the desperate way Helen was clutching his arm that he let her. She only let go of him to fling him at the driver side door and race to the other side.

"Drive." Helen slammed the door and was currently ringing her hands. Seamus continued to give her the queerest of looks as he started the car and took off with his typical reckless abandon for safety.

"Helen…where are we going?" He asked quietly. Helen furrowed her brow in thought.

"Yes where would they go? Back to her place…his? Would they even go home right away? No they'd have to go somewhere private wouldn't they? So his or hers? Which is closer? Or does the closeness not matter but rather who's it is?"

Seamus cast many confused glances at his muttering passenger but refrained from interrupting. When the deranged muttering had moved to the inside of Helen's brain he spoke again.

"Helen…what…are…you talking about?" His gentle voice pulled Helen out of her circular panicked thinking long enough to look at Seamus. He was still driving at high speed, one hand on the wheel, with his eyes almost completely focused on her. She took a deep breath.

"Connor's been hitting Sherry." Seamus' only reaction was a narrowing of his eyes which he did when he needed his full concentration on something.

"What did you say?"

"Connor's has been abusing Sherry! It's probably been happening for a while. I mean he's always been a little controlling and jealous but I never imagined this!" Helen was back to ringing her hands again. "I mean how did it start? Telling her not to continue with her job at the Treasure Chest? Telling her what to wear when they go out? Taking her away from all her friends who might notice the bruises? He's been doing it so slowly for so long I don't know how I didn't see it."

It took Helen a minute to realize that Seamus had pulled over to the side of the road and had stopped the car. He was staring out the windshield with his face skewed up in an expression that Helen didn't recognize.

"What are you doing? We have to go. We have to find them!" Helen shouted waving toward the road.

"And do what?" Helen stared opened mouth at Seamus.

"What do you mean do what? We have to find them! We have to stop it!" Helen was about ready to get out of the car and push if she had too.

"I…did not expect this." Seamus murmured lowering his head onto the steering wheel buried between his arms that were already rested there..

"Expect what?! That Connor is a controlling sexiest psychopath?! I fucking hope not! But we don't have time for disbelief we have to go!" Helen was about ready to shake him.

"In my family…and I'm not saying me specifically…feel that some physical domain be kept within a relationship. And that these aspects of a couple's life should remain a private matter, without intrusion."

Helen stared at Seamus with an expression of horror and disbelief.

"What did you say?" Seamus rolled his head miserably between his arms and groaned.

"What I am saying is that I can't do anything. This is Connor's business. It's not my place to interfere."

"Sherry is your friend! If some ASSHOLE who wasn't dating her fought with her, hit her, and then threw her in a car to drive off to GOD KNOWS WHERE with her…you would FUCKING KILL THAT GUY! But no, because he's her GOD-DAMN BOYFRIEND you won't!?" Seamus snapped his head up to glare at her.

"He is FAMILY Helen! I can't go against my family no matter how good of a friend Sherry is! I can't." They locked eyes for a very long moment. Slowly all the emotion drained from Helen's face and she turned away from him. She was silent for a very long time before speaking again.

"If that's how it is, you're not the man I thought you were." She got out of the car but before closing the door she bent down. "I'm going to take a cab home. If you do ever turn into the man I think you are, call me. Otherwise don't bother."

Helen shut the door and started walking, headed for the nearest payphone. Seamus let her.

(AN: I'M ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have had those page blowing about my brain for ages *cough* years *cough* *cough* I'm so sorry that I take so very long between updating. But so many of you have added my stories to your favorites while knowing that I know I have to finish and cannot abandon you. I have a break from college and real days off with no TV or streaming internet so I will try to get a lot done. Now that this chapter is finally out I can FINALY get to one of the best twists in my other story Better Left Forgot. So expect and update…soonish. THANK YOU FOR STILL READING!)


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